


Wandering Spirit

by Python07



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Grief/Mourning, M/M, established Optimus/Ratchet, pre-slash Joshua/Cade
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-06-08 02:34:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 27,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15233448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Python07/pseuds/Python07
Summary: Takes place right after Age of Extinction and ignores The Last Knight (The Last Knight was terrible anyway.)Optimus is in mourning for Ratchet, the others are trying to help him, and Lockdown was a sadistic bastard.





	1. Chapter 1

It was hot. Lockdown’s blowers ran at full efficiency to keep his systems cool enough to do battle. The sounds of the battle of Hong Kong were close but not close enough to rattle a warrior of his experience. He couldn’t care less about the Autobots battling Galvatron and his army. His only focus was on the Prime on the ground.

He bared his denta and pushed the sword in harder, through the side of Optimus Prime’s torso and further into the building behind him. He delighted in the screams of pain and rage. He leaned in close to trace the jagged edges of the wound. He ran his fingers through the mixture of leaking fluids and energon.

He held his smeared fingers up for the Prime to see. “They said they want you back. They didn’t say you have to be functional.”

Optimus struggled but he didn’t have the leverage to remove the sword. Metal screeched against metal. His armor plates scraped against the building.

Lockdown watched Optimus in cold amusement. He leaned in even closer. He applied a very slight pressure to the sword to keep Optimus pinned and flinching. His lip plates were only centimeters from Optimus’ audio sensors. “I was going to wait to tell you my tales during the long trip home, but I believe you would benefit from the lesson now.” 

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say,” Optimus growled.

Lockdown clicked as if in disappointment. “You don’t want to hear of my hunts of other Autobots on this backwater planet.” He said the names slowly, with relish. “Leadfoot…Smokescreen…Seaspray…Ultra Magnus…”

Optimus grabbed Lockdown’s arms. He squeezed hard enough to dent some of the plates. “Why?”

“The humans wanted them for scrap and I needed intel on you.” Lockdown chuckled darkly and eased the pressure on the sword a fraction. “None of them gave it to me. You should be proud.”

Optimus vented air out heavily. His power was running low from the fight and his wounds. “They never had that information.”

“Well,” Lockdown drawled. “One did. My last hunt was your dear medic. Ratchet was his name, wasn’t it?” He shook Optimus’ hands off. He cupped the side of Optimus’ face in mock tenderness. He never took his optics off Optimus’. “You should never have abandoned your spark mate, Prime. Have you seen the footage? I know your new human pet Yeager has. It was not pretty and really not much of a challenge. Did you feel his pain through your bond or were you too busy rusting to notice?” 

Optimus roared. His hand shot out to wrap around Lockdown’s throat and twist into the throat cables. He punched the heavy panel covering Lockdown’s spark chamber. It cracked with the second mighty blow.

Lockdown twisted the sword until Optimus released him. He spit the next words at Optimus. “I gave him a chance to save himself. All he had to do was lead me to you. He said never so I took his spark and the humans took his body for scrap. A tragic end for such a brilliant mind.”

Optimus helm butted Lockdown. “You had best take my spark now before I tear you apart!”

Lockdown’s hand transformed into a large cannon. He leveled it at Optimus. “Very well. Offline it is.”

Suddenly, Lockdown felt the sting. He looked around to see Optimus’ pet firing at him from behind a low wall. He charged towards the human’s hiding place. “You see me, you die.”

Optimus tried to move the sword. “Cade! No, this is my fight!”

Optimus watched Cade duck and run out of the way while still firing. He was ready to wrench his side through the blade to get free when a tow truck screeched to a halt in front of him and a female jumped out. “Tessa, you shouldn’t be here.”

Cade’s daughter grabbed the hook and chain from the back of the tow truck. “Just a second, Optimus.” She climbed up Optimus’ leg. “We couldn’t leave you to face this alone.” She looped the chain around the sword, jumped down, and shouted to the driver, “Now, Shane!”

The tow truck tires squealed and the sword was wrenched free. In one fluid movement, Optimus got to his feet, grabbed it, and charged Lockdown. He saw Lockdown’s cannon raised to extinguish Cade. He savagely thrust the blade through Lockdown’s back.

Energon exploded over Lockdown’s chest and dribbled from his mouth. He pushed himself back on the blade, all the way to the hilt. He tilted his head back to smirk at Optimus. “You haven’t found all of my trophies, Prime. Take a look before the humans get to it. I want you to see what’s there.” He laughed. “For your spark mate.”

Optimus pulled the sword upwards, cutting Lockdown in half. Hot energon, dirt, and other fluids splashed over his armor. He took a moment to watch the small sparks crackle over Lockdown as all of his systems shut down permanently.

“Optimus, are you okay?” Cade asked.

Optimus slid the sword into its sheath on his back. He looked down at the three humans gathered at his feet. “I require some repair but I believe I will recover. Thank you all for your assistance.”

Cade smiled. “No problem, big guy?”

Tessa looked around at the chaos. “What now?”

Optimus picked all three of them up in one hand. “I will set one of Lockdown’s grenades to destroy this place and we will get out of here.”


	2. Chapter 2

Crosshairs was close at Optimus’ side. “We have to get out of here, Prime,” he hissed. “We’ll take the seed and disappear.”

Optimus touched the temporary patch welded over his wound. He could feel it sizzle and pop beneath the thin metal. He let his hand fall to his side. Pain and exhaustion fired along all his sensors. Yet, he still stood straight and tall.

Crosshairs was covered in cuts and dents, but he didn’t appear to have any serious energon leaks. The green paint was scraped off his right side from being dragged along the side of a building. However, he focused on anger as opposed to pain. “It’s only a matter of time before the humans turn on us again.”

Optimus looked from Crosshairs to Hound lying a few feet away. Hound was sprawled out in exhaustion. He leaked energon from a series of wounds, some big and some little. He met Optimus’ gaze. The old soldier’s optics flashed in tired defiance. “Whatever you say, Boss. Don’t worry about me. These are nothing but mosquito bites. I’ll be good to go.”

Bumblebee sat next to Hound. He was also covered in scrapes and dents. He held his right arm at an awkward angle. Energon leaked between the joints. He looked at Optimus with wide optics. He gave Optimus a thumbs up.

Optimus’ gaze found Drift next. Drift stood a silent guard between his injured comrades and the group of humans awaiting their decision. It took Optimus watching him intently to catch the fact that he couldn’t put all of his weight on his left leg. He inclined his head to Optimus and simply awaited instructions.

“Prime,” Crosshairs whispered urgently. “Optimus.”

“Optimus,” Cade called up. “You can’t leave.”

Optimus clamped down on his vocalizer so as not to make a sound of pain when he leaned down and opened his palm for Cade to climb into. That didn’t stop the sound of creaking metal. He straightened back up.

Crosshairs glared at Cade. “Nothing against you, Cade, but I don’t fancy waiting around for them to decide to snuff my spark.”

Cade didn’t flinch. “You guys are in no condition to travel. You need a safe place for repairs,” he countered reasonably. “The Chinese want to offer you an abandoned military base on one of their islands. They’ll stay out of your way and Joyce has already said that he’ll get you anything you need.”

“We don’t need anything from the likes of him,” Crosshairs sneered.

Cade put his hands up. “I know. I’ll never forget what I saw in his lab either, but he knows he fucked up. He wants to make good.”

Anger crackled through Optimus’ circuits at the mention of Joshua Joyce’s lab, the place where Ratchet and the others had been melted down for scrap. He shifted uneasily. A dark part of him still wished that he’d allowed Hound to extinguish Joyce.

“I know you believe in second chances, Optimus.” Cade regarded Optimus intently. “And he did keep the seed from Galvatron. Please, let us, let me, help you. I want to go with you to the island.” He grinned suddenly. “You know I already have some experience repairing Autobots. Tessa and Shane will come too.”

Optimus’ anger drained away. “You’ve already done so much, Cade. You don’t have to.”

Cade waved that off emphatically. “I want to. This has been one of the coolest and damn scariest experiences of my life.”

Crosshairs huffed. “How many more times are we going to do this, Prime? How many times are we going to trust the humans only for them to stab us in the back?”

“Not all humans are bad,” Cade snapped. “Just like not all Cybertronians are good.”

Crosshairs waved his arm to encompass himself and his comrades. “This is what’s left of us, Cade Yeager. Do you have any idea how many we have lost here?”

“That’s enough, Crosshairs,” Optimus interrupted with quiet authority. “Cade is right. We are not fit to travel.”

“Well, I am.”

“I will not stop you if you wish to leave, but I made I mistake when I scattered us to the winds,” Optimus said gravely. “We are stronger together.”

Crosshairs put his hands on his hips. He glared at all of them. He grunted, turned away from Prime, and walked over to Hound and Bumblebee. “I’ll stick around. Without me, you all will be scrap within a week.”

“Our hero,” Hound drawled.

“Frag you,” Crosshairs drawled back sweetly.

Optimus set Cade back down carefully onto the ground. “Will you tell them that we gratefully accept their offer?”

“Sure.” Cade bounced on the balls of his feet. “Just one more thing, Optimus?”

Optimus ignored his own creaking as he rested on one knee next to Cade. “Yes?”

“Are we going to check Lockdown’s ship?” 

“Why?” Optimus asked flatly.

Cade frowned. “I heard what he said to you.”

Optimus straightened up. “He was taunting me. Nothing more.”

“But shouldn’t we make sure,” Cade persisted. “For Rat--”

“No, Cade,” Optimus cut in. He turned towards his injured comrades. “Forget what you heard.”


	3. Chapter 3

They turned the aircraft hangar at the base into a makeshift med bay. It was centrally located and the biggest open space. Large boxes of tools and other supplies took up the space along one wall. The humans claimed a small corner for an old table, battered couch, a TV, and a PS4.

All of the doors were open. The beginning of a storm front made the atmosphere cool and pleasant and there was plenty of breeze in the hangar. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Cade wore an old tank top and frayed pair of jeans. He stood on a hydraulic lift with his welding gear. He worked slowly and steadily on Bumblebee’s arm. He set the torch down and tilted his mask up on his forehead. Then he looked over to where Shane was using a hose and power sprayer to try and get all the dirt, grit, and dried energon caked in just about all of Hound’s seams. “How’s it going over there?”

Shane was shirtless. He paused long enough to wipe his forehead but all he did was streak the dirt and water over his cheeks. “I think we’re about half way done. That dried energon is a sticky bitch.”

“Tell me about it,” Hound muttered.

Tessa carried a tray inside and carried it over to the table. There were two towels draped over her shoulder. “Dad! Shane! Come get something to eat!”

“Great. I’m starved.” Shane grinned at Hound. “Are you ready for a break, Big Guy?”

“Works for me. The last thing I need is circuit waterlog.” Hound sat with his back against the wall facing one of the open doors. He grunted as he tried to settle into a comfortable position, but all the new welds pulled and stretched in an uncomfortable way.

Cade reached out and let his hand hover just over Bumblebee’s hot metal. “Okay, Bee?”

Bumblebee nodded. His voice came out as a loud, radio DJ. It was the voice of someone who had entirely too much sugar in his diet. “是啊.”

Cade just stared. “What?”

Shane stopped at the foot of the lift on his way to Tessa. “Chinese for yes,” he hollered.

Cade smiled sheepishly. “Oh, yeah.”

Bumblebee gave Cade a thumbs up. He chirped and moved slowly to sit next to Hound. Hound just laughed. “Poor Bee can’t pick up any radio station besides C-Pop. I’ve heard a lot of awful things on this planet but that is the worst.”

Cade laughed as he lowered the lift. He swung out to the ground and went to join Tessa and Shane at the table. He gave her a half hug, leaving a dark stain on the shoulder of her white shirt. “Thank God. Beer.”

Tessa smiled. “And sandwiches.” 

Shane licked his lips in anticipation. “Seasalt and vinegar chips.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you, Babe.”

Cade grimaced. “Not in front of me.”

Tessa laughed and twisted away from them. “Oh no, grease monkeys.” She wiped her forehead and threw the towel at Shane’s chest. She tossed the other to Cade. Then she looked at the stain in dismay. “Wipe your hands.”

Cade and Shane exchanged looks as they wiped their hands and faces. Then they traded a bottle of hand sanitizer under Tessa’s watchful eye. Cade smiled at her sheepishly. “What do we have here, Sweetheart?”

“Corned beef and swiss.” Tessa pointed to one stack of sandwiches and then the other. “And ham and cheddar.”

Shane gave Tessa a quick kiss. He didn’t bother with a plate. He grabbed one of the sandwiches and a bottle of water. He carried the bowl of chips in the crook of his arm. He flopped down on the couch and propped his bare feet up on the table. He took a giant bite of his sandwich.

Cade kissed the side of Tessa’s head. “Thanks.”

Tessa smiled warmly. “You’re welcome.”

Cade grabbed a paper plate. He flicked Shane in the back of the head. “Rude,” he grumbled. He reached down over Shane’s shoulder to grab a handful of chips out of the bowl.

Shane just smirked over his shoulder and continued chewing.

Cade sat down at the table. He took one of the corned beef sandwiches. “You remembered the mustard, right?”

Tessa fixed her own plate and curled up next to Shane on the couch. “Of course.”

Cade swallowed and regarded the two Autobots resting, propped up against the wall and each other. “Bee. Hound. I’ve been wondering about something,” he started casually.

Bumblebee tilted his head to the side curiously. He let out a questioning beep through his vocalizer as opposed to a hyped up-on-sugar human voice that would grate on all present.

“Your spark is like a soul, right?”

Bumblebee nodded. He beeped earnestly. He tapped his own chest, over his spark chamber.

Hound’s head was back and his optics shuttered. “It’s our core. Everything that makes a bot who he is starts there.”

Cade nodded in thought. “So, a spark mate is a soul mate.”

Hound jerked and he and Bumblebee looked at each other warily.

Shane laughed. “That sounds so cheesy.”

Tessa elbowed him, hard. “Don’t be an ass.”

Shane looked at her with wide puppy dog eyes. “What?”

Bumblebee’s optics narrowed angrily. He let out a stream of quick, almost violent beeps. Hound put a hand on his shoulder but that didn’t stop him.

Shane noticed everyone staring at him. His face flushed. “Sorry.”

Cade left his food. He stood and approached Hound and Bumblebee slowly. He nodded towards Bumblebee and asked Hound. “What did he say?”

It took Hound a long moment to answer. “A spark bond is a sacred union. Not only do you share your body, you share your spark.”

“Your very self,” Cade echoed.

“Right. It’s the ultimate sign of trust.”

“And love,” Tessa put in from Cade’s side.

Cade started. He wrapped an arm around her. He kissed the top of her head.

Bumblebee beeped. The sounds were not as angry, but still quick and anxious.

Hound grunted. “He wants to know why you asked.”

Cade sighed heavily. “It’s something Lockdown said to Optimus.” He shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other, but he didn’t look away. “He said Optimus should have never abandoned his spark mate. Was Ratchet Optimus’ spark mate?”

Bumblebee stared at the ground while Hound rubbed the back of his neck. Finally Hound grumbled, “Yes.”


	4. Chapter 4

His whole body was in danger of overheating. He felt the heat radiating beneath his plating. It burned along his wiring.

His vents groaned under the pressure of trying to cool his systems. Everything groaned and creaked, a far cry from optimal working order. Something in his engine knocked.

He didn’t know how he’d made it to the scrap yard. The last few hours were a blur of fighting and fleeing. But now it was dark, he was alone in the yard with discarded heaps of lifeless metal, and he was safe for the moment.

His systems were beginning to cycle down from the fight or flight responses and everything hurt. Warning signals sounded from all systems. His whole frame shuddered.

He opened the bond without consciously meaning to. He desperately reached out. //Ratchet.//

There was no delay. //Optimus.//

Mental relief warred with physical pain. //Old friend. Tell me you are well.//

//I am.// Ratchet’s concern radiated back through the bond. //What happened to you?//

//Ambush. I took two direct hits. I was still able to transform and escape in vehicle mode.//

//Can you transform back?//

Optimus couldn’t even move. //I am not sure.//

Again, there was no hesitation. //Where are you? I’ll come to you.//

Optimus’ frame shuddered again. //No, you will not.//

//It would be easier if you just told me instead of me tracking you.//

//No, Ratchet. You have to stay away.//

Ratchet bristled through the bond. //You need me. Don’t be a stubborn glitch.//

Optimus felt it all: Ratchet’s concern, fear, anger, and love. //I do need you. I need you to be unharmed. I’m safe for the moment but they are not going to stop looking. You cannot be with me if they find me in this state.//

//We are all targets, Optimus.// Ratchet snarled. There was a pause. The anger was muted but not gone. //I would much rather meet my end with you. This hiding is no way to live. Let me come to you.//

//No. That’s an order.// 

//Very well.// Ratchet drawled sarcastically. //You’re the Prime.//

Optimus’ intakes hitched. //Forgive me. I reached out to you in a moment of weakness. You must think of your own survival.//

//Are you permanently glitched? Or it is one of the shots you have recently taken? What am I going to do on this mudball without you?//

Optimus pictured Ratchet’s glare, the one that made even seasoned warriors such as Ironhide find a place to hide. //You will persevere. Those left need your strength.//

//We need you, Optimus! I need you!//

Optimus felt the mental shove through the bond. He pushed back affectionately. //I am but a warrior. You have the specialized skills.//

//Quit being so slagging noble!//

Optimus laughed but it was more of a wheeze. //I love you too.//

And then Optimus did what was necessary. He closed the bond down on his end again. He felt empty and he still hurt.

Optimus’ optics rebooted back into the present. He was staring at the tools aligned on the floor. He couldn’t remember picking up the mirror in his hand.

He sat alone in the base garage. It was across the compound from the aircraft hangar. The doors were closed. He glanced out the window at the gathering storm clouds.

He vented out a heavy sigh. He shifted his attention back to his wound. He studied it in the mirror. It was a mess of fried circuitry, melted metal, and clotted energon. He was so busy trying to figure out how to get in there without causing more damage that he didn’t register the sound of the garage door opening.

“He would haunt me forever if I allowed you to proceed with this foolishness,” a voice said earnestly and respectfully. “Allow me to do it.”

Optimus looked up at Drift coming in with a gust of wind behind him. “Your leg?”

Drift gave a small smile. “Good enough for now, Sensei.”

Optimus set the mirror down. “Very well.”


	5. Chapter 5

Cade leaned against the doorframe, watching the rain pound the pavement. His mind kept circling that last battle with Lockdown. “Such a dick,” he muttered.

He looked over his shoulder to check on everyone else in the hangar. Hound was in deep recharge. Bumblebee and Shane played Injustice, battling each other as Joker and Deathstroke. He briefly wondered why good people and good bots liked to play bad guys but that didn’t really matter as long as they were enjoying themselves. He didn’t know how Bumblebee wirelessly connected to the PS4 and he supposed that it didn’t matter either. Tessa was on the couch next to Shane, laughing and cheering them on.

He faced forward again. He peered across the compound to the garage where he knew Optimus was tending his own wounds, hopefully with Drift’s help. It seemed so uncharacteristic but he almost felt like Optimus was hiding.

His gut twisted in sympathy. Suddenly, he turned and ran to the supply trunks. He flipped one open, grabbed a jacket, and sprinted for the door.

“Dad?” Tessa called after him.

Cade ignored her and ran out into the rain. He held the jacket over his head. He ran up the steps of the observation tower. He looked around for Crosshairs. He caught sight of the bot on the muddy road circling the base.

Crosshairs was in his vehicle form. He was speeding in the mud, spraying it everywhere, feeling it squelch beneath his tires and in his wheel wells. It was cool against his hot metal. Plus, it just felt good to let loose and tear something up.

Cade watched the green sports car playing in the mud. He found himself grinning.

Water streamed down Crosshairs’ finish. Thunder rumbled and he gunned his engine in response. “This is the best day I’ve had on this slaggin’ planet! Bring it!”

Cade waved. “Crosshairs!”

Crosshairs finished creating a circle in mangled grass. He came to a stop at the base of the tower. He honked and flashed his headlights.

Cade hurried down the steps and jumped into the passenger side. “Hey.”

“Something wrong with the others?” Crosshairs asked gruffly. “Is Hound being an overgrown sparkling?”

“They’re fine. They’re resting.” Cade threw his jacket onto the back floor mats. He took a moment to admire Crosshairs’ sleek black and green interior. “I had a feeling that you like to get down and dirty.”

Crosshairs snickered. “You have no idea. Are you sure this is what you want, flesh bag?”

“Absolutely.”

“You had best not be sick in here,” Crosshairs warned, disgusted by the very thought of cleaning up an organic mess.

Cade snorted. “As you say. Bring it.”

“The man has guts.” Crosshairs barked a laughed. “You asked for it. Buckle in.”

Cade did so. He patted the dashboard. “All right. Let’s go.”

Crosshairs took off. He took a wide circle around the center square of the compound. He zoomed through the gate and back into the mud.

A thrill shot through Cade at all the high speed twists and turns. He could hardly see out the windows with the water and mud everywhere and it only added to the adrenaline rush. He held onto the dashboard and let out a whoop.

Crosshairs gunned his engine. He took Cade clear across to the other side of the island. Sometimes on the muddy road, sometimes through sodden grass. He stopped at the entrance to a large cave. “Check it out.”

Cade grabbed his jacket and got out. He ran to just inside the cave. He turned just in time to see Crosshairs transform into his bi-pedal self.

Crosshairs stood out in the pouring rain, letting it wash away the worst of the mud. He tilted his face up to the sky. He held his arms out and did a slow turn.

Cade turned back to take a better look at the cave. It was a huge cavern with startling colorful quartz and obsidian rock formations. He climbed onto one of the large natural sculptures. “Wow.”

“I know.” Crosshairs followed Cade into the cave. There was just enough space for him to stand upright. Water and mud ran off his plates. “This island is so small, it only took me an hour to map it. This is by far its best feature.”

Cade looked around in awe. “Yeah. I think Optimus could even stand up in here.”

Crosshairs cocked his head to the side and watched Cade curiously. “He’d have to duck, but probably.”

Cade perched on the rocks and regarded Crosshairs seriously. “How long have you known him?”

“I’ve known the Prime eons.” Crosshairs’ optics narrowed. “Why do you ask?”

“Do you think…” Cade’s voice trailed off as he tried to come up with the right words.

“Do I think what?” Crosshairs prompted.

“Do you think…I just…” Cade grunted in frustration and blurted out, “Is he the type to hide from things he doesn’t want to face?”

Crosshairs laughed and stared at Cade as if he were glitched in the head. “He’s a Prime. They tackle things head on. That’s for lesser, more emotional beings such as you and I. What put such an idea in your head?”

Cade folded his arms across his chest. “That last fight with Lockdown. You didn’t see how Optimus reacted when he mentioned Ratchet.”

“Lockdown murdered his spark mate. How was he supposed to react?” Crosshairs shot back.

“Granted, but--”

“But what?”

Cade put his hands up. “I think we should check Lockdown’s ship. He may have been trying to screw with Optimus’ head, but shouldn't we check, just to make sure?”

Crosshairs shook his head. “Lockdown knew he was dying. He just wanted to twist the knife one last time.”

“Probably.” Cade hopped down from the rock formation and approached Crosshairs. He stood by Crosshairs’ pede and looked up at him intently. “But you need something to /do/ right? This island is already driving you crazy. You and me, we go check out Lockdown's ship. Tear shit up, get it out of your system, and I can stop wondering if Lockdown’s the type of asshole to tell the truth about something like that just because it’ll hurt more than a lie.”

Crosshairs dropped to one knee to see Cade’s face better. He stared at the human for a long moment. Then he nodded. “All right, but we don’t tell Prime.”


	6. Chapter 6

Drift’s touch was soft but firm. His field radiated nothing but calm. He worked silently.

Optimus had to consciously stop himself from cataloguing all the ways that this differed from past experience with Ratchet. He was perfectly safe in Drift’s hands. He knew it in his processor but his spark was a different matter.

Optimus stopped feeling Drift’s fingers. His processors were suddenly sluggish. He grabbed Drift’s shoulder. “I told you not to give me anything.”

“You need rest.” Drift didn’t take his attention from the wound. His voice was soft and soothing. “And you will not feel pain from my hand if it is avoidable.”

“I want the pain,” Optimus replied in a low rumble from deep in his vocalizer.

“He would not want you to feel that pain.”

Optimus wanted to reply but nothing came out. His optics shuttered as his systems cycled down. 

Nighttime in the desert was nothing like anything he’d seen on Cybertron or in space. He transformed into his bi-pedal form and looked around. The empty road stretched for miles and the rocky landscape stretched as far as his optics could see. The moon was half full and countless stars filled the sky.

//You’ve been gone two days. Enough is enough, old friend.// He reached through the bond and out with his field. //Where are you? I know you’re near.//

//Can’t a bot get any privacy?// Ratchet returned irritably.

His field pinged to his left and he started that way. //Yes,// he sent back smoothly. //if you really wanted to be alone.//

//I do. You just don’t want to acknowledge it.//

The air was cool and quiet. There were no sounds of battle, the city, or the med bay here. There were no groans and cries from those who could and couldn’t be saved. There were no triage protocols and very tough decisions. //I can see why you like it out here.//

//Thanks,// Ratchet replied sourly.

He saw an enormous rock formation standing alone. His field pinged again and he headed towards it. //It’s stunning.//

Ratchet waited until Optimus found him perched at the base of it. His field met Optimus’. His agitation was plain along with a certain relief that Optimus was there. “It’s called Shiprock and in the native Navajo tongue Tsé Bitʼaʼí meaning ‘rock with wings.’”

Optimus settled in next to Ratchet. “Rock with wings?” he echoed, puzzled.

“It refers to a legend of a great bird that brought the Navajo organics to this land.”

Optimus put an arm around Ratchet’s shoulders and tugged Ratchet to lean against him. “Do tell.”

Ratchet relaxed against Optimus’ frame almost despite himself. “The ancient Navajo were fleeing their enemies and their shamans prayed for deliverance. The ground beneath the Navajos became a huge bird that transported them on its back, flying for a day and a night before landing at sunset where Shiprock now sits. The people climbed off and the bird rested. Then it was attacked by a giant dragon like creature. The people sent the Monster Slayer to confront and defeat the beast. However, the bird was injured during the battle and Monster Slayer turned the bird to stone as a memorial to its sacrifice.”

Optimus smiled. “A fit tribute.”

“There are other myths I won’t bore you with.” Ratchet grunted and tried to pull away. “Of course, it is really just the exposed neck of a vanished volcano. There’s nothing mystical about it.”

Optimus simply tightened his grip. “Tell me,” he said easily.

Ratchet glared and pushed against Optimus’ chest plates and windshield. “You don’t have to humor me. I know this is silly. I’m ready to go back. I have plenty of work to do.”

“Ratchet, be still.”

Ratchet optics flashed dangerously. “I don’t want to be still. If I’m still, I think too much.”

Optimus cupped the side of Ratchet’s face in his free hand. “The damage was too extensive. Jazz’s spark was gone by the time you reached him. That was Megatron’s doing. He bears sole blame.”

The anger blazed bright in Ratchet’s field. “And I wish we could kill the slagger a thousand times over for that and every other spark he extinguished.”

Optimus injected as much calm into his own field as he could. “The humans dropped his remains into the deepest trench in the ocean. The forces of this planet will see to it that there will be nothing left of him. The war is over. The All Spark is gone with Megatron. We cannot resurrect Cybertron, but we can build ourselves a life on this planet now.”

Ratchet shuddered through his vents and off lined his optics. “Can we?”

“Yes. I sent a signal. Hopefully other Autobots out amongst the stars can join us.”

Ratchet shook his head and his field vibrated in nervous tension. “We’ve been at war for so long. I can’t remember what peace feels like.”

Optimus sent out steady signals of calm and affection. He pulled Ratchet closer and kissed his forehelm. “We’ll rediscover it together.”

Ratchet’s tension drained away. He rested his head on Optimus’ chest. “I hope Wheeljack is out there and gets the message,” he said dryly.

Optimus just growled in mock jealousy.


	7. Chapter 7

“When you said that you would take care of transport, I expected better,” Crosshairs growled.

Cade chuckled. “Beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, I told you. He wants to help.”

The two stood on a wide stretch of beach at the far end of the island from the base. The sky was overcast. The storm was over but the ground was still moist and the air carried a hint of rain.

Crosshairs shook sand out of his pedes. “And I told you that we shouldn’t be accepting help from the likes of him. His greed helped start this whole mess.”

Cade rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying what he did was right, but Joyce is trying to atone. Don’t forget he put himself on the line to keep the seed from Galvatron.”

Crosshairs waved that off. “Yeah. Yeah.”

“Do you know where Optimus hid it?”

“No,” Crosshairs answered flatly, “and I don’t need to know. Neither do you. What we don’t know can’t be forced out of us.”

“True enough.” Cade pointed to a cargo plane approaching. Then he smirked up at Crosshairs. “He’s not a bad guy. Try to be nice.”

Crosshairs rolled his optics and cursed in Cybertronian under his breath. He transformed into vehicle form. He revved his engine almost petulantly.

Cade ran a hand over Crosshairs’ roof. He chuckled. “Get it out now.”

Crosshairs cursed some more, louder and with more venom. 

“Pop the trunk.” 

Crosshairs did so, continuing his diatribe in his native language. 

“Are you done?” Cade asked as he leaned in recheck their special equipment and his alien gun.

Crosshairs spit out one more filthy word in Cybertronian. He grunted. “For the moment, flesh bag.”

Cade slid into the driver’s seat. He poked the center of the steering wheel, over the Autobot emblem. “That better not have been an insult against my mother, gearhead.”

“Why would I say anything against the woman so unfortunate enough to have given birth to you?” Crosshairs shot back. “She has enough problems.”

Cade snorted a laugh. “Ouch.”

They watched the plane circle and land. The back doors opened and a ramp extended. Joshua waved to them from inside.

Cade patted Crosshairs’ dashboard. “Ready?”

“Let’s do this.” Crosshairs started towards the plane. “I hope we don’t find anything that’s going to hurt Prime,” he added quietly.

Cade frowned. He matched Crosshairs’ tone. “Lockdown was just so sincere. There was something behind his bluster that I just can’t ignore. We have to be sure.”

“Yeah, I know,” Crosshairs allowed. He rolled up the ramp into the planes and the doors started closing behind them.

Joshua stood in front of them. He was in jeans, sweatshirt, and boots instead of his usual suit and tie. He clasped his hands behind him, careful not to touch Crosshairs.

Cade got out. He walked up to Joshua and looked him up and down. He grinned. “Thanks for coming.”

Joshua shifted uneasily under the scrutiny. “What?” he snapped. “I wasn’t going to chance ruining another suit climbing around in that wreck.”

Crosshairs rumbled but Cade stopped him with a look. “We appreciate the ride,” Cade said earnestly, “but you don’t have to come with us.”

Joshua’s eyes got wide behind his glasses. “Me miss an opportunity to see an alien ship close up? No way.”

“No way,” Crosshairs echoed sourly.

Cade kicked Crosshairs’ fender and ignored the angry rev of an engine in return. He took Joshua’s arm and steered him away. “I’m afraid the Autobots are still a little…” His voice trailed off as he tried to find a tactful way of saying it.

Joshua smiled ruefully. “Pissed off at me.”

Cade frowned in sympathy. “Yeah.”

“We’re getting ready to take off. Let’s sit down.” Joshua led the way to the row of seats against the wall. He buckled in and waited until Cade did the same. He held Cade’s gaze. “I want one thing clear. I’m not sorry for wanting to learn more about them after what happened in Chicago, but I should have questioned Attinger more closely as to where he was getting the bodies from.” 

“You should have found out who you were melting for scrap,” Crosshairs snapped. “You--”

“Enough, Crosshairs,” Cade interrupted firmly. He patted Joshua’s arm. “He knows.”

Joshua stared at the floor. “I got complacent when Attinger said to leave it all up to him.”

“Attinger,” Cade growled, low and intent. “He sent his team of trained killers to my house. They almost killed Tessa.” 

“I didn’t know how far he’d go,” Joshua said helplessly. He looked up at Cade with pleading eyes. “I didn’t know about his vendetta against all alien life. I truly thought they were all Decepticons and no one would miss them. I thought it fitting that they would be able to provide us means of defending ourselves against more of their ilk.”

Cade shook his head. “I can understand that, but you should’ve thought twice about starting your program with what was left of Megatron.”

Joshua flushed. “You’re right, but I thought he was nothing but spare parts.”

“You’re not the first afthead to make that mistake,” Crosshairs put in caustically. “He doesn’t stay dead and you gave him a brand new body. Won’t that be fun when he puts in his next appearance.”

On that note, the conversation died. The two men said nothing more to each other. Crosshairs ignored them both. 

The plane took off and reached a safe cruising altitude. Joshua waited an extra ten minutes before he cleared his throat. “There’s no place safe to land near the crash site. The nearest air strip is forty miles away.”

“That’s all right. We won’t need it,” Crosshairs answered.

Joshua stared at Cade in confusion. “What does he mean?”

Cade grinned, baring all his teeth. “Just tell the pilot to fly over the crash site and we’ll take it from there. We can meet back up with the plane at the airstrip later.”

Joshua unbuckled. “I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?”

“Maybe,” Cade laughed while Crosshairs revved his engine in anticipation.

“Oh God,” Joshua groaned but went to give the pilot his instructions.


	8. Chapter 8

Optimus onlined abruptly. His systems were slow to boot up entirely. His vision was hazy, his current surroundings and the desert blurring together. He looked around wildly. He tried to move but all of his limbs were uncoordinated. “Ratchet.” The name escaped without him realizing it.

“Sensei,” Drift called, soft and compelling. “You are still in the shadows of your recharge. Follow my voice back to the present.”

“Drift?”

“Yes. It’s time to come back.”

Optimus rebooted his optics. He focused on Drift kneeling next to him. He reached out to touch Drift’s shoulder. His voice was rough. “Drift, how long was I in recharge?”

“Three days,” Drift answered as if it was nothing.

“Three days?” Optimus repeated incredulously. He looked around again. The garage was empty except for them. The door was open, displaying the first sunshine since the storm.

Drift gave a small smile. “You needed it.”

“I guess I did.” 

“After that last battle, we all did,” Drift said earnestly. “I see no shame in it.”

Optimus looked down at the new weld covering the wound. He moved slowly to test his range of motion. The new wires and circuits pulled a little but that was just a mild annoyance. He ran a quick systems check and everything came back normal.

“How do you feel?”

Optimus squeezed Drift’s shoulder. “You did well.”

Drift inclined his head. “I had many opportunities to watch a master work. I learned from him.”

Optimus wanted to smile but he couldn’t. He settled for a neutral expression. “He would be proud. What about your leg?”

“Not one hundred percent, but I am close.”

“Bumblebee and Hound?”

Drift’s small smile was back. “Cade is a superb engineer. He worked tirelessly to repair Bumblebee’s arm. And Hound…” he chuckled and shook his head. “…he needs time to heal, but that hasn’t stopped the stream of complaints that he’s battle ready.”

Optimus started to stand slowly. “He wouldn’t be Hound if he didn’t.”

With no fuss, Drift helped Optimus to stand. Then he took a respectful step back. “It would do them good to see you.”

Optimus stretched and twisted. He nodded. “I know.”

“Sensei,” Drift started and stopped again. He kept his gaze firmly on the ground.

“What?”

“Forgive me. It is not my place.”

Optimus touched Drift’s shoulder again. “You are a dear comrade, Drift. You have no reason to fear to speak your mind.”

Drift peeked up at Optimus’ kind face before swiftly lowering his optics again. “None of us begrudge you your grief. We all mourn him. We will share the weight of it if you will allow us.”

Optimus vented out a heavy sigh. His voice was ragged and sincere, from deep inside his vocalizer. “Thank you. I will keep that in mind. However, I cannot speak of him. I am not prepared to share my memories of him. They are a pain and a pleasure that I cannot describe. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sensei.” Drift bowed. He stepped to the side to allow Optimus to precede him out.

Optimus crossed the center square to the hangar. Drift was a silent, steady presence at his side. He stopped when he heard Tessa’s curious voice.

“If he was special enough to be Optimus’ spark mate, I want to know about him.”

“He was special all right,” Hound agreed.

Bumblebee chirped in response and Hound answered, “You got that right, Bee. They did balance each other. Prime is good at taking the universe on his shoulders and Doc was always good at making him realize that he didn’t have to.”

Drift was about to step around Optimus and go silence them but Optimus put a hand up. The two circled to the far side of the hangar where they could hear without being observed. Optimus peeked inside to see Hound and Bumblebee sitting side by side. Hound looked to be battling fatigue, leaning heavily against the wall.

Bumblebee beeped in affection.

“What did he say?” Tessa asked eagerly from where she sat on Bumblebee’s shoulder.

Hound smiled. “He said the Doc had a hard shell, but a spark in a million.” He chuckled. “And he hated being called Doc.”

Bumblebee played a recording. Ratchet’s voice was irate yet resigned and perhaps a touch amused. “Kindly refrain from addressing me as Doc.”

Tessa patted the metal beneath her hands. “You guys enjoyed annoying him, didn’t you?”

Bumblebee’s optics took on an innocent expression. 

“Are you kidding?” Hound laughed. “Everyone ran from his glare and his deadly aim with a wrench, including Prime.”

Tessa giggled. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Hound paused. “He was a brilliant medic. He could yell at you for your stupidity while fixing you up at the same time. He knew when to treat you like a sparkling and when to tell you to get up off your aft.” 

Bumblebee waved an arm and his beeps took on a somber tone.

Hound sobered. “He was…what do you call it…passionate. He felt things deep, you know? He tried to hide it but we all knew how much it teared him up when he couldn’t save a patient. We’re all warriors. We know how to do one thing: fight. Doc did everything. He was our medic, our scientist, our jack-of-all-trades. He was always at the front lines, fighting if he had to or dragging one of us out of the line of fire.” 

Tessa was silent for a long moment. “It sounds like Optimus was lucky to have him.”

Optimus revealed himself. “I was.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Five minutes out,” Joshua reported, coming back into the main body of the plane.

Cade circled to Crosshairs’ trunk. “Good. Let’s get ready.”

Crosshairs popped the trunk. He waited until Cade took their gear out before transforming into his bi-pedal form. He sat on his knees and helped Cade unravel the harness.

Joshua stood well out of their way. “What is going on?”

Cade grinned and slipped his alien rifle over his shoulder to rest against his back. “Just wait.”

Crosshairs slipped the harness over his chest and buckled it into place. He smirked at Cade. “Are you sure you’re up for this, fleshy?”

“You know it, metalhead,” Cade shot back eagerly. He went behind Crosshairs and scrambled up onto his leg. It took both hands and all his strength but he managed to get everything fastened.

Joshua stared at them in dismay. He pushed his glasses up his nose. “What exactly is the plan?”

Cade jumped off Crosshairs’ leg and faced Joshua. “We’re dropping in,” he answered blandly.

“Dropping in?” Joshua repeated dumbly.

Cade patted Crosshairs’ knee. “Don’t worry. Crosshairs is an old pro at aerial combat.”

“Ummm….” Joshua mumbled, still at a loss.

Crosshairs snickered. “Is he going to blow a fuse?”

Joshua blinked stupidly. The two couldn’t have known each other long, but there they were sharing almost identical daredevil grins. His voice squeaked. He had to clear his throat and start over. “You’re the chaos twins.”

Cade laughed and tossed Joshua a pair of goggles. He pulled another pair on. “I’ve been called worse.”

Crosshairs picked Cade up. “Me too.” He carefully dropped Cade into the harness strapped to his chest. “Comfy?”

Cade strapped himself in, chest to Crosshairs’ windshield. He pressed against Crosshairs’ smooth plates. The metal was warm but not unpleasant to the touch. “Yeah.” 

Joshua rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure about this.”

Crosshairs rolled his optics. “Nothing says you have to come. Wait with the plane.”

“Come on, Joshua.” Cade shot Joshua a lop sided grin. “Don’t worry. We’re snug against the big guy. Nice and tight.”

“Un-fucking-believable,” Joshua muttered but pulled the goggles on over his glasses. He let out a yelp when Crosshairs picked him up and dropped him in the harness next to Cade.

Cade helped strap Joshua in securely while Crosshairs hit the button for the main doors. “Have you ever gone skydiving?” Cade asked conversationally.

Joshua looked at Cade as if he’d grown a second head. “Of course not. Why would I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?”

“First time for everything,” Crosshairs answered as he ran and jumped out of the plane.

The first thing that hit Cade was the wind. It buffeted his body and rushed past his ears. He couldn’t see anything but blue sky and glimpses of brown earth. He whooped in all out joy.

Joshua clutched at Crosshairs. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God,” he chanted.

Crosshairs barked out a laugh. “Hang on.” He straightened out and angled towards the ground headfirst.

They picked up speed. Cade thumped Crosshairs’ chest. “Yeah!”

At the last possible second, Crosshairs pulled the cord on his parachute. They jerked up. Their descent slowed as they floated to the ground.

Crosshairs had to take a few steps upon landing but stayed upright. “How did ya like that?”

Cade tore the goggles off. His face was flushed and his hair stuck up in odd angles. His grin had a manic edge. “That was awesome!”

Joshua opened one eye. “Are we dead?” He opened the other. “Tell me we aren’t dead. Tell me we’re safely on the ground?”

Crosshairs chuckled. “Yeah.”

Joshua pulled the goggles off and dropped them. He straightened his glasses. “And we’re alive?”

“Evidently.”

Cade patted Joshua’s back. “See? I told ya. We’re fine.”

Joshua scowled. “That depends on your definition of fine.” He pointed to himself in the harness. “And how do we get out of this contraption?”

“Easy.” Crosshairs knelt down. He held a hand under Cade.

Cade pointed. “Watch.” He pulled one strap and everything holding him came loose. He easily dropped into Crosshairs’ hand.

Crosshairs lowered his hand for Cade to hop off onto the ground. He held it under Joshua. “Your turn.”

Joshua swallowed. “All right.” His legs gave out as soon as he hit Crosshairs’ palm. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Crosshairs held his hand still. “Take a moment. Get your bearings.”

Joshua took a deep breath. “I’m okay now.”

Crosshairs slowly lowered Joshua to the ground. “I’m going to have a quick scout around. I’ll be right back.”

Cade helped Joshua to a nearby tree. “You all right?”

Joshua held a hand over his stomach and leaned with his back against the tree. “A bit queasy.”

Cade smiled sympathetically. “You okay to go on to the ship. Or you can rest here and we’ll pick you up when we’re done.”

Joshua straightened back up and pinned Cade with a glare that would’ve made Ratchet proud. “If you think I just went through that for nothing, you are very much mistaken. I will see the inside of that ship.”

Cade threw his hands up in surrender. “Anything you say.”


	10. Chapter 10

Bumblebee’s optics cycled to their widest setting. He chittered and whirred. Tessa clutched at the shoulder she was sitting on. “It’s my fault, Optimus” she said quickly. “I asked them.”

Hound used the wall to try to lever himself to his feet so he could stand at attention. “Prime.”

Optimus smiled and said gently, “There’s no need, Hound. At ease.”

Hound sank back down to the floor. “We’re sorry.”

“Yeah. I should’ve known better,” Tessa added anxiously. “It was a long time before Dad could talk about Mom.”

Optimus stepped closer to them. He kept his voice at a low, soothing rumble. “There’s no need to apologize. I am not angry with you.”

Bumblebee chirped inquisitively.

“I am functional, Bumblebee.” Optimus tilted his head towards Drift at his side. “Drift did well in repairing me.”

Hound, Bumblebee, and Tessa still exchanged guilty glances. Optimus put a hand on each of the Autobot’s shoulders. He projected nothing but calm in his field. He looked at them and at Tessa for a long moment. He managed a small smile before he backed away. “Doc was not the only nickname he hated.”

Drift flashed the tiniest of smirks. “Detested.”

“Talk about a bot who loved to push Doc’s buttons.” Hound burst into a wide grin. “Hey, Bee. You remember when Wheeljack called him Sunshine.”

Bumblebee let out the hyped-up-on-sugar voice. “史詩.”

Tessa laughed. “What?”

“Epic,” Drift translated.

Hound laughed so hard he had to wipe coolant from his optics. “The next time Wheeljack had to go in for standard maintenance, he woke up to find himself painted fluorescent yellow.”

Tessa squealed. “Really?”

“Really. I can’t make this stuff up.”

“That’s what he gets for calling the guy sunshine.”

Bumblebee waved his arms and chittered excitedly. He hurriedly reached up to keep Tessa from falling off.

“It started this big prank war.” Hound whistled. “Now, Jackie can be a devious slagger, but he had nothing on the Doc in that frame of mind. Jackie thought he had some form of space plague when all of his waste fluids turned a very vivid shade of purple.”

Tessa wrinkled her nose. “Sounds disgusting.”

Optimus backed out of the hangar. He stood in the sun by the door, listening. He shuttered his optics and clamped down on his vocalizer, desperately keeping the bittersweet tang of his field to himself. 

Bumblebee beeped rapidly and Hound translated automatically. “Jackie looked so outraged but then he just started laughing. He bowed and told Doc that he’d won. They were buddies after that.”

Bumblebee beeped some more and Hound snickered. “You should’ve heard the scathing commentary every time Doc had to re-attach Wheeljack’s arm. He said--”

“Young ears,” Drift interrupted, softly but firmly.

“Uh, yeah,” Hound grumbled.

“Oh, come on guys!” Tessa exclaimed.

“No, Drift’s right. Anyway, Jackie has always had a love affair with explosives and slag happens.”

“What happened to Wheeljack? Why isn’t he here?” Tessa asked.

Hound grunted. “We all scattered when the ‘Cons hit the ark. He’s out there somewhere.”

“I hope so,” Tessa said earnestly.

“Regale her of tales of the drinking contests with Ironhide,” Drift said with subdued amusement just before he slipped outside to join Optimus. “Sensei?” he asked quietly.

Optimus started. He didn’t look at Drift. “I don’t want his memory buried like a dirty secret,” he whispered raggedly. “But I can’t…”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t.” Optimus held himself rigidly. “Where’s Crosshairs?” he asked abruptly. “Has he scouted the rest of the island?”

Drift nodded. “Yes, I believe he is out exploring with Cade now.” He flashed that smirk again. “I believe those two are long lost spark twins.”

Optimus ignored the attempt at dry humor. “I’ll take my own drive around the island, “ he said briskly and transformed into his vehicle form.


	11. Chapter 11

The ship was in a field of debris. Joshua looked at all the snapped trees, overturned earth, and huge pieces of twisted metal. He pushed his glasses up his nose in nervous admiration. “Wow. It’s massive.”

Crosshairs snickered. “And this is only the secondary module. You saw the mother ship over Hong Kong.”

Joshua hugged his arms across his chest. “Yeah. I’m not going to forget that any time soon.”

Cade rubbed the back of his neck. “This is probably gonna take a couple days. Good thing we brought camping gear.”

Joshua rolled his eyes. “Camping. How delightful.”

Cade laughed and slapped Joshua on the back. “What? Not a nature guy?”

Joshua sniffed. “I’m a scientist. I don’t enjoy roughing it.”

“I never would have guessed,” Cade teased.

Crosshairs regarded Joshua as he would an insect. “Don’t be such a soft fleshling.”

Joshua defiantly looked up at Crosshairs. He pointed to his own chest. “Excuse me, Mr. Tall, Sneering, and Metallic. I am a fleshling and proud of it.”

Cade pointed up at Crosshairs. “And he’s a bucket of bolts. Let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

“All right. Let’s get started.” Crosshairs scooped up the two humans and put one on each shoulder. “Easier this way,” he announced before Joshua could squawk in protest.

“He can step over what we would have to climb over,” Cade added helpfully.

Joshua held on tightly. “Fine,” he huffed.

Crosshairs let out a deep rumble from his engine. “We could always get the harness back out.”

Cade blinked innocently. “If you think that would be easier.”

“No!” Joshua shouted.

Crosshairs let out a short laugh. He quickly and nimbly crossed the debris field. He came to a large hole in the side of the ship. He braced himself on the hull, peered inside at the gloom, and switched on his headlights. 

Cade tilted his head to the side. “I don’t hear anything.”

Joshua didn’t see anything either. “Were you expecting to?”

Cade looked inside intently but there were no signs of life. “Last time we were in this ship, there was so much noise. The low hum of machinery and hydraulics and shrieks from something that I’m glad I never saw. There was a constant vibrating under our feet.” He shivered. “I don’t know. I got an odd feeling that the ship was alive.”

“Not so odd,” Crosshairs replied quietly. He extended his field in search of friend and foe alike.

Joshua frowned in thought. “The ship wasn’t sentient like you, was it?”

Crosshairs didn’t feel any signs of life but there was a deep unease in his circuits. “Not quite. It never thought for itself. It’s difficult to explain. I haven’t found its equivalent on Earth.”

Cade thumped Crosshairs’ shoulder. “Are we ready to go in?”

“Are you sure you wish to proceed?”

“Yes,” the two humans chorused.

“All right. This is going to be fun,” Crosshairs drawled sarcastically. “Hang on.” He slowly stepped through the hole. He had to duck out of the way of a low hanging twisted piece of bulkhead. 

Cade jumped off Crosshairs’ shoulder onto the nearest deck. Now that he was inside, he detected the faint scents of smoke and charred circuitry. He did a slow turn to take in the cavernous space. There were numerous rips and tears in all the decks and walls. Sunlight streamed through a hole directly above him. Dim emergency lights flickered.

Crosshairs dropped Joshua next to Cade. He scanned the immediate area with his headlights. “Watch your step. Lockdown was a dangerous fragger. There may be some active booby traps and I will not scrape what’s left of you off the decks.”

Joshua blanched. “Thanks for that thought.”

“You’d better watch it too. He was expecting intruders your size, not ours.” Cade threw a brief glare up at Crosshairs and patted Joshua’s arm. “We just have to keep our wits about us.”

Joshua looked around with wide eyes. “Where do we start?”

“The main bridge,” Crosshairs answered crisply. “Maybe I can still access the main frame to see what goodies Lockdown left behind.”


	12. Chapter 12

A heavily accented voice sounded respectfully in his ear. “We thank you for the offer of help and your discretion.”

“I am happy to do what I can,” Optimus replied in the same tone. “Are you sure that all of the humans have been evacuated.” 

“Yes. The warning went out well before the storm hit. The residents are safely on the main land. All craft have been warned to stay away. You will not be disturbed. We have left an empty barge for materials that must be taken away to be disposed of or recycled.”

“Good.” 

“Know that we do not expect much to be salvageable, but that will not stop us from rebuilding,” the man said with a quiet confidence.

“I will do what I can. I will contact you when I am ready for transport back to our base.”

“Very well.”

Optimus cut the connection to the Chinese authorities and opened a comm link back to base. “Prime to base. I have arrived on Hebao Island.”

Drift’s calm voice came back to him. “I will inform the others.”

“Make sure Bumblebee and Hound continue to rest and be mindful of your leg.”

“Yes, Sensei,” Drift said dutifully. “I have that background information you wanted on the island. It is a resort island off the southern coast of Guangdong Province. It is classified as sub-tropical and belongs to the prefecture-level city of Zhuhai, and so may be considered part of the so-called Chinese Riviera. It has a total area of 13 square kilometers, and its coast consists mainly of beaches, while the interior includes sub-tropical forest. There is also a small portion of rocky, mountainous terrain”

Optimus stood on a beach littered with debris. There were broken trees, pieces of huts, and even what was left of small boats caught in the waves. The storm decimated the trees on the outer edges of the island. He detected no noise from small mammals or birds. 

“This whole chain of islands is really quite fascinating,” Drift continued. “So much of this planet displayed in so small an area.”

“Thank you, Drift,” Optimus interrupted good naturedly.

“Of course,” Drift said ruefully. “You’re welcome. How long do you think you will be? Tessa still thinks she drove you away.”

“She didn’t and unknown at this time. I have not yet survey the damage. I will contact you when I am en route back,” Optimus answered briskly and cut the link.

Thirteen kilometers or just over eight miles normally wouldn’t have taken that long to survey, but Optimus kept to his bi-pedal form to move around easier through the destruction. He moved through what had once been a cluster of huts but there was nothing left. The bigger buildings of the hotels were in marginally better shape. All of the windows were broken. Some had collapsed roofs and others collapsed walls. He wasn’t sure if any of them could be made habitable again.

He climbed the nearby mountain to get a better view of the whole area. The water surrounding the island was clear and calm. When he turned his optics back to the land, it looked like the hand of Unicron cut a swath through the island, laying waste to everything in its path.

He remembered the man’s voice. “But that will not stop us from rebuilding.”

“Rebuilding,” he murmured. “Lucky for them, they have the opportunity.”

//You should not be out here,// he prodded through the bond.

//And you didn’t have to follow me,// Ratchet prodded back. //I have finished my preparations for launch.//

Optimus snuck into the ruin of the hospital. There was no power to the building and any equipment of use had long been taken away. It was no more than a shell.

He found Ratchet on the top floor, in a corner by a large hole in the wall. He didn’t hesitate at the anger he felt from Ratchet’s field. “I know you haven’t forgotten this is nobot’s land.”

Ratchet leaned against the edge of the opening and stared out at the barren landscape. He didn’t bother looking at Optimus. He shrugged. “The whole planet is nobot’s land now,” he said bitterly. “The cons know that as well as we do.”

Optimus came to stand behind Ratchet. His sensors were on high alert for any Decepticons in the area, but the only thing his systems wanted to focus on was Ratchet. He pressed against Ratchet’s back and wrapped his arms around him. “And they want to eliminate us before we can escape into space. It’s not safe out here.”

“Let ‘em come,” Ratchet sneered. “I’ll take plenty of them out with me, I promise you that.”

Optimus held on tightly. He tried to merge his calm field with Ratchet’s but the medic’s field was too agitated. He sent nothing but feelings of love through the bond, but received cold silence from the other end. “You don’t want to die here,” he whispered raggedly.

“What makes you so sure? This slaggin’ war,” Ratchet murmured, low and dangerous. “In trying to save our planet from Megatron, we’ve helped destroy it. It’s dead and the Allspark is gone, lost in space.” He vented out heavily. “I have so much energon on my hands.”

“As do I.”

Ratchet intakes hitched. “We’ve become an endangered species, do you realize that?”

“Yes,” Optimus answered quietly against Ratchet’s audial. “The Allspark is still out there. We may still someday see an end to this conflict and the restoration of Cybertron. We…”

“Don’t say it,” Ratchet growled.

Optimus felt Ratchet begin to shake. “We still may one day have a sparkling.”

Ratchet tried to step away. “Don’t say that. I’m too old and broken. I will not force an innocent to deal with my demons.”

“You’re the strongest bot I know.” Optimus refused to let go. He pulled Ratchet’s back against his chest. “Don’t give up hope, old friend. I need you.” He nuzzled at Ratchet’s neck cables. “Would you have your Prime beg?”

“This isn’t fair.”

Optimus felt all of Ratchet’s shields crumble and all of Ratchet’s emotions, the good, the bad, and the ugly came through the bond with an intense rush of warmth. Their fields intertwined smoothly and he stood still just reveling in it. A low charge of energy thrummed between them but it was not urgent.

“Can we return to base now?” Optimus finally whispered.

Ratchet rested his helm against Optimus’ chest plates. “No. I’m out here to see one last sunrise.”

The sun glinted off the water and Optimus jerked out of the memory. A shudder wracked his entire frame. He ignored the ache in his spark and headed straight for the first building to be demolished.


	13. Chapter 13

“That ain’t right,” Hound huffed in exasperation.

Bumblebee just cycled his optics wide and chirred playfully.

“I told you not to pick Grundy,” Shane crowed. He sat against the arm of the couch so he could comfortably see the screen and the two Autobots behind the couch. “He’s too slow.”

“But he has a cool finisher,” Hound replied in what would have been a whine from a human child (if he had been capable of making such a sound).

“That it’s easy to get away from.”

Bumblebee thumped Hound’s back and chirped some more.

Shane laughed at the glare Hound threw Bumblbee. “What did he say?”

Hound punched Bumblebee’s newly repaired shoulder. “That the Joker’s is cooler.”

Bumblebee playfully punched back. Hound mock growled and maneuvered Bumblebee into a headlock.

Shane’s eyes got wide. “Be careful of the welds! We don’t know when Cade and Crosshairs will get back.”

Hound rolled his optics and let go. Bumblebee gave Shane a thumbs up while Hound waved dismissively. “He’s fine.”

Shane rolled his eyes back and grabbed a controller. He smirked at them. “Neither of them hold a candle to Deathstroke. Let’s go,Bee. You’re going down.”

Tessa chuckled softly and slipped out of the hangar into the sunshine. Shane’s excited voice followed her.

“Oh, come on, Bee. Let’s play at the Batcave board. Atlantis is boring. I can’t knock you through anything.”

Tessa slipped her sunglasses on and ran up the observation tower. She did a slow circle and caught sight of Drift. She hurried back down the steps and out the main gate. “Drift!” she called.

“Yes, Tessa,” Drift called back calmly.

“Am I disturbing you?” She found Drift in a large grassy area just outside the wall. She gaped at the deep tread marks and torn grass. “What happened?”

“No, I welcome the company,” Drift replied kindly. His swords lay propped up against the wall. He’d removed his helmet and some of his outer armor plates to bare his smooth silver head and silver and blue arms. He crouched low and moved his arms in a slow circle. “Crosshairs and the storm happened. It was a perfect time and place for his destructive impulses to flow.”

Tessa sat on a nearby tree stump off to his side and well out of the way. “Now, I’m not so sure about Dad hanging out with him.”

Drift didn’t stop his smooth, liquid movements. “They do seem to get along well,” he observed dryly.

Tessa frowned. “I know.”

Drift was perfectly balanced as he lifted his leg straight to the side in the shadow of a sidekick. “Crosshairs needed that time to vent his anger and frustration. He may not show it, but he cares deeply for those who have earned his trust and grudging affection. He has never taken proper time to grieve.”

“Why?”

“He says he doesn’t need it. He focuses on his anger.”

Tessa sighed. “Sounds like a lot of guys I know.”

Drift curled one arm over his head and pushed his other palm forward. “Stubbornness is not an exclusively human condition. Do not worry. He will guard your father and let’s not forget that your father knows how to take care of himself.”

Tessa regarded Drift solemnly. “Do you know where they went?”

“Yes.”

“And you still won’t tell me,” Tessa pressed.

Drift didn’t hesitate. “No. It is not my place.” He turned to face her face and started going through his motions again. “I can tell you that they have arrived safely at their destination.”

Tessa sat forward, her elbows on her knees. She stared at the ground and muttered, “I don’t like this.”

One end of Drift’s mouth quirked up. “It is not necessary that you should like it.”

“Thanks a lot,” Tessa replied sarcastically.

Drift chuckled. “I would suggest pestering Cade Yeager for details when he returns.”

Tessa sat up straight. “Don’t think I won’t.” She waved a hand at him. “What are you doing anyway? Tai Chi? Kung Fu? Something all David Carradine like?”

Drift didn’t stop but looked at her, puzzled. “David Carradine like?”

Tessa laughed. “He was the actor who did a lot of martial arts movies and TV shows. One of his shows was called Kung Fu.”

“I see.” Drift paused his vocalizer but not the movements his body knew so well. “I suppose this could be considered David Carradine like,” he said in dry amusement.

“Maybe we can watch it sometime. I think you’d like Kwai Chang Caine.”

“Perhaps.”

Tessa continued to watch Drift as they sat in comfortable silence. She watched the sun glint off metal skin. She felt the calm and warmth radiating from him but something still ate at her. She sat on her hands and rocked back and forth nervously. “Did Optimus make it to Hebao Island okay?”

“Yes.”

Tessa stared at the ground again. “I can’t help thinking I drove him away with my questions about Ratchet.”

Drift finished his move and came to a natural stop. He knelt in front of her. “You did not,” he said, soft and compelling.

Tessa sniffed. “I should’ve known how much it would hurt him. I just didn’t think about it.”

“Look at me.”

Tessa hesitantly lifted her head. “I’m sorry I forgot that you guys have feelings just like us.”

Drift motioned to her sunglasses. “Take those off,” he ordered quietly. He waited until she did and met his optics. “Optimus is hurting.” He held a hand over his own spark chamber. “In here. He will never stop feeling that loss, but one day, Primus willing, he will be able to speak of Ratchet with the affection that Ratchet’s memory deserves.” 

“But--”

“Do not be ashamed of asking about Ratchet. He is worthy of remembrance. You did no wrong and Optimus is not angry at you. None of us are.” 

Tessa swallowed heavily. “Then why did he leave?”

“Because he cannot allow us to see him express his grief.” Drift gave a small smile. He held a large hand out to Tessa. “Would you like to learn some of my David Carradine moves?”


	14. Chapter 14

The bridge of the ship landed facing towards the sky. The sun was low on the horizon, at an angle to flood the bridge with the last sunlight of the day. All of the consoles were dark and several panels had exploded on impact, leaving masses of fried circuitry and warped metal behind. The heavy windshields were cracked but not broken. 

“That glass is made for space. Do you really think a little jarring is going to shatter it?” Crosshairs scoffed when he saw the two humans just stare at the windows.

Cade went closer to the windows. He grinned at Joshua. “Give me a boost.”

Joshua helped Cade climb up onto a ledge by the windows. “What do you see?”

“Not a lot besides broken trees,” Cade answered and reached down to pull Joshua up onto the ledge with him.

Joshua looked out. “We’ve got twenty minutes to a half hour before the sun goes down.”

“We don’t want to be here in when it’s dark.” Crosshairs sat behind the main console. “It looks to be mostly intact, but…” his voice trailed off. The screen was dark. He ran his servos over the controls. “Come on,” he crooned. “Be nice to old Crosshairs. Tell me you’ve got a little bit of juice left.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Cade asked.

“Not at the moment,” Crosshairs muttered. “Just stay there.” He climbed underneath the console and popped the main panel. He reached inside and started connecting different wires.

Cade sat with his back to the side of the window frame. He smirked at Joshua. “Having fun yet?”

“Tons,” Joshua replied sarcastically and sat next to Cade, close enough that their shoulders touched. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The tech would be fascinating if we could see how it works.”

There was a sizzle and a pop from the panel. Crosshairs jerked and banged his head. He swore loudly in Cybertronian.

Cade snickered. “Are you okay?”

Crosshairs flipped them off. “Just peachy, flesh bags.”

Cade just laughed while Joshua rolled his eyes. “Where do you think he learned that?” Joshua muttered.

Cade shrugged. “TV?” he suggested. “Internet? Take your pick.”

“I’m glad to see them picking up the finer points of our society,” Joshua said dryly.

Cade laughed some more. He put his head back. He shut his eyes and listened to Crosshairs swearing at the console.

Joshua watched Crosshairs for a few minutes longer. “What do you two hope to find anyway?” he asked in simple curiosity.

Cade’s eyes snapped open. His smile disappeared. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hopefully, nothing.”

Joshua stared at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Cade lowered his voice. “Lockdown liked to take trophies and one of his last hunts was Ratchet.”

“What kind of trophies?” Joshua whispered. He winced. “And the body was brought to us mostly in its entirety. I don’t know what would have been left.”

“I’m not sure either.” Cade looked to make sure Crosshairs was still occupied. “But we owe it to Optimus to see if there’s anything else going on.”

“Piece of slag,” Crosshairs snarled and hit the base of the console.

Joshua started at the loud clang of metal on metal. “Do you think that’s really going to help?” he shouted.

“Yes!” Crosshairs yelled and hit it again. It groaned and sputtered to life and he slid back into the seat. He regarded them smugly. “Told you. All it needed was a special touch.” 

Cade scrambled to his feet. “What’s it telling you?”

Crosshairs’ servos flew over the controls. “Not much right now. It looks like it’s encryption programs are still intact.” 

“Can you hack it?”

Crosshairs pulled a cable from one of his own ports. He smirked at Cade. “Of course.”

Joshua stood. “Is that really a good idea? You said yourself that Lockdown was a dangerous fragger.” He enunciated the last word exactly like Crosshairs. “I hate to imagine the kind of presents he’s left for those trying to get into his system. Viruses and other dangerous malware”

Cade sighed. “I think he’s right, Crosshairs.”

“I’m well aware,” Crosshairs growled. “But we don’t have time. The only way we’re getting into this system before it shuts down for good is for me to jump right in. I can take care of my own coding.” 

“Just wait a sec.” Cade jumped down and ran over to Crosshairs. He stood by Crosshairs foot. “Are you sure about this?”

Crosshairs picked Cade up and gently dropped him on the screen. “Do you see that?”

It took Cade’s eyes a moment to adjust to the harsh lighting from the screen. He looked down at the foreign characters beneath his feet. They were bigger than him. He crouched down and touched the warm, smooth surface. “So this is Cybertronian.”

Crosshairs nodded and tapped the screen next to Cade. “Yes. Heavily encrypted Cybertronian. I can get in but I have to do it from the inside.” 

“But what if there’s something in there that you can’t handle?” Joshua asked from his place on the window ledge.

“Me?” Crosshairs snickered. “I can handle anything.”

Cade touched Crosshairs’ finger. “Is there anything we can do to help you if you run into trouble?”

“Like unplug you,” Joshua added.

“No.” Crosshairs gave a small smile. “If you do that, I might be trapped in there and that is not how I’m snuffing it.” He grabbed his cable again. “I won’t be able to hear you so don’t go wandering off without me. Just because we haven’t run across any booby traps yet doesn’t mean that we won’t.”

Before Cade could reply, Crosshairs connected his hard line into the console. He grabbed the console’s edges. He shuttered his optics. “There we go,” he murmured. “Come to me.” 

Joshua put his hands on his hips. “What do we do now?”

Cade shook his head and watched Crosshairs anxiously. “We wait.”


	15. Chapter 15

As long as he was knocking down walls and hauling debris to the barge, Optimus didn’t have to think or feel. He focused on wood splintering and cement crumbling into dust. He worked without pause until dark.

He was covered in cement dust and there was sand and debris in his pedes. His cooling system whined from the constant work. His cables and joints ached from the exertion. His tanks buzzed that he was low on fuel and in need of recharge.

His body creaked as he lowered himself down to lay on the beach. The night was quiet. There was no breeze and no sounds of animals, just the water lapping against the shore.

He rested a servo over his chest plates covering his spark chamber. This time he didn’t have to work to keep his exhausted, grief-stricken field to himself. He shuttered his optics and sent a silent prayer to Primus for peace.

The first thing he became aware of was sand and heat. He coughed out sand. A split second later, the sounds of shouting and gunfire pierced the fog in his processors. His spark flared in his chest and he immediately checked the bond to make sure Ratchet was still functional. He felt a pulse of relief that mirrored his own. Suddenly, the Fallen was on top of him, stealing the Matrix from his chest.

“My Matrix,*” the Fallen rumbled and disappeared.

“Get up!” Sam shouted. “Get up! Get up!*”

Optimus tried. Everyone else was shouting for him to get up. His hydraulics were freezing. He fell back in the sand. He rolled over and met Ratchet’s optics.

Ratchet nodded. //Will you get that slagger before he destroys this planet and all of us with it?//

Jetfire was bleeding from severe wounds in his chest. There was a gaping, crackling hole in his torso. The old warrior hobbled on his pedes. He stared at Optimus. “All my Decepticon life, I never did a thing worth doing until now.” He dropped to his knees. “Optimus, take my parts and you will have a power you’ve never known. Fufill your destiny.*” With that he savagely ripped his own spark from his chamber.

“Jolt! Electrify! Transplant those afterburners,*” Ratchet ordered.

Optimus crawled towards Jetfire. The electricity engulfed him as Jetfire’s parts grafted onto his own. He received Jetfire’s cannons, wings, and thrusters.

Ratchet nudged sharply through the bond. //Go, Optimus!//

Optimus took off and attacked the Fallen and Megatron. He destroyed the mega weapon housed in the great pyramid. He killed the Fallen by ripping out his spark chamber. He retrieved the Matrix.

Then it was hours of battle clean up. It was setting up a medbay to treat humans and Autobots alike. It was debriefing with both Egyptian and American officials. It was everyone coming up to him and talking to him, just to reassure themselves that he was alive and back with them.

It wasn’t until they returned to their home base that he got any time for himself. It was late and he couldn’t recharge by himself. He’d hardly seen Ratchet since the amount of casualties took all of Ratchet’s time and considerable skill.

//Ratchet.//

Ratchet didn’t answer and his side of the bond was closed tightly.

Optimus made for the medbay. He didn’t find Ratchet but one of the human nurses making the rounds of the human patients. “I’m looking for Ratchet,” he rumbled softly.

The nurse smiled tiredly. “He said something about the wash racks.”

“Thank you.”

Optimus extended his field as soon as he got to the door of the wash racks. The only one he detected inside was Ratchet. He slipped inside, locking the door behind him.

He found Ratchet standing under the spray of water and chemical solvents. “Ratchet.”

Ratchet had one arm braced against the wall and his head down. He looked to be keeping himself upright through sheer force of will. “Optimus,” he returned quietly.

Optimus approached cautiously. He tested his field against Ratchet’s. He frowned when he didn’t receive a welcome or a rebuff. That’s when he saw the fine tremors running through Ratchet’s frame. “Ratchet, let me in.”

The one word came out as agitated static. “No.”

“Don’t do this to yourself.” Optimus stepped under the spray and wrapped his arms around Ratchet from behind. 

Ratchet tensed even more but didn’t try to pull away. Instead, he clutched Optimus’ arm. His voice was barely loud enough to hear. “Please don’t push me.”

Optimus nuzzled the side of Ratchet’s neck. He traced the seams on Ratchet’s chest plates. He pressed closer so that Ratchet could feel the strong vibrations from his engine. //Let me in. You know how it distresses me when you lock me out.//

Ratchet shook harder. //Leave it alone,// he snapped but it lacked the usual bite.

Optimus continued the light caresses. He let his field engulf them both. //Not when you need me.//

Ratchet turned suddenly and shoved Optimus. His optics blazed and his field flared in anger. “Fine! You want to know!” he shouted. “I felt you die!”

Optimus was momentarily stunned by the flood of intense emotions of rage and spark-deep grief accompanied by relief and spark-deep love. He grabbed Ratchet’s shoulders. “Ratchet…” he tried but no words would come. Instead he let his own feelings of love and devotion through the bond.

“It was agony,” Ratchet snarled. “I felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest where my spark was supposed to be. I wanted nothing more than to join you.”

“Ratchet…” Optimus tried again only to be cut off. 

“I wanted to leave this Pit damned mudball but ‘Hide wouldn’t hear of it. He said you would want us to stay and protect this planet. Slag it! I knew he was right even if I couldn’t admit it.”

Optimus pulled Ratchet into a fierce hug. //Enough. I’m here. Ratchet, I’m here.//

Ratchet slumped against Optimus’ chest. He tilted his head to listen to Optimus’ spark. //I know, but it’s still so fresh. Not too long ago, you were offline and I hurt. I didn’t want you to have to feel that. That’s why I kept you out.//

//That pain is a part of us. I won’t shy away from it.//

//Too slaggin noble.// Ratchet replied not for the first time but it was more tired than sarcastic. //I’ll never be able to thank Sam enough for bringing you back. If you ever pull a stupid stunt like that again, the Well won’t be a safe place for you when I get there.//

//I’ll do my best.// Optimus kept one arm around Ratchet and reached to turn the water off. “Come. We both need a good recharge.”

Ratchet leaned against Optimus. “And in the morning, a good frag,” he added dryly.

Optimus chuckled. “I think that can be arranged.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue borrowed from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen marked w/*


	16. Chapter 16

The sun was down and the bridge lit by twilight and dim emergency lights. The whole atmosphere was a wash of blues and grays. Joshua sat against the side of the windowsill, his knees pulled into his chest. He could barely make out Cade and Crosshairs’ silhouettes in the glare from the console screen. “We’re lucky there’s no cloud cover tonight.” 

Cade was perched in the crook of Crosshairs’ locked elbow. He watched the characters flash by on the screen. “Yeah. As soon as Crosshairs comes out of this, we’ll head out to the camp site.”

“So much for not being in here after dark,” Joshua muttered sourly.

“Well…” 

Joshua rolled his eyes and interrupted, “Plugging a hard line into a hostile system on the verge of complete failure. Brilliant. Brilliant plan.”

Cade sighed heavily. He looked up into Crosshairs’ face. Crosshairs’ optics were still shuttered and he had not moved since he went into the system. Cade turned his attention back to the screen. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“Does he?” Joshua shot back. “Because he seems reckless to me.” 

“He’s doing what he has to,” Cade answered patiently. 

Joshua hugged his knees tighter. “Tell me what we’re supposed to do if that system shuts down with him inside of it.”

“That’s not happening.” Cade stated. He smirked suddenly. “Don’t tell me that you’re worried about him.”

“Hardly,” Joshua scoffed. “Just in case you’ve forgotten, the Autobots would like me to spontaneously combust.” 

Cade let out a startled laugh. “It’s not quite that bad.”

“Isn’t it?” Joshua jumped to his feet and started pacing. His words came out in a rush. “Two weeks ago, I thought I had the answer to any future Decepticon problems. I thought we could build our own defense force out of transformium. I thought the seed was going to be an endless source of energy. Think about it. No more fossil fuels.” He paused very briefly and shook his head. “But I got ambitious and I didn’t think. I didn’t want to know where the materials were coming from. I didn’t want to know what kind of deal Attinger made for the seed.” He stopped and his voice got lower. He peered into the darkness, half wishing he could see Cade’s face. “I was blind.”

Cade watched Joshua’s shadow and he found he didn’t have it in himself to kick a man when he was down. “At least you can admit it.”

“I wish I could go back in time and kick my own ass.”

One end of Cade’s mouth quirked up. “You can’t, so you move forward.”

Joshua grunted to himself. He raised his voice. “How is he doing anyway?” he asked briskly. “Any signs he’s coming out of this?”

Cade listened to the smooth thrum of Crosshairs’ engine. “He sounds like he’s all right, but he’s still not moving.”

Suddenly, a siren started going off. The screen started flashing red and white. Smoke came from the console’s panel. 

“What’s going on?” Joshua shouted.

Cade jumped off Crosshairs’ arm just as the bot started to shake. He rolled onto the screen. He hurried back to his feet. He looked from Crosshairs down to the scrambled mess on the screen. “I’m not sure,” he hollered back. “But I think the system may have figured out that he’s in there.”

The panel sparked and caught fire. Crosshairs fell out of the seat to land in a heap on the deck. The momentum pulled his cord out of the port.

Cade coughed. The acrid smoke burned his eyes. He peered over the edge at Crosshairs. “He’s not moving!”

Joshua jumped down to the deck and ran towards them. “You have to get down from there, Cade!”

Cade jumped down to the seat. He peered at the floor but it was too far to jump. He started looking for any handholds in the metal to try and climb down.

Joshua circled Crosshairs and came to the base of the seat. “Can you make it?”

“The metal’s smooth.” Cade’s heart pounded in his chest. “I have to risk jumping it.”

“Are you crazy! You’ll break your neck.” Joshua climbed onto Crosshairs’ chest. He started jumping up and down. “Reboot! Damn it, you hunk of junk! Reboot!”

The fire jumped from the console and the screen went dark. Cade went to the far side of the seat. “Joshua.”

“A little busy here!”

“Get out!”

“No!” 

Cade covered his mouth with his sleeve.

Joshua ignored the increasing heat. “If you don’t come to this instant, I will make sure you end up in a scrap yard!”

Crosshairs optics suddenly blazed to life. He grabbed Joshua. He spit static from his vocalizer. It clicked and his voice came out in a rough rasp. “All right, fleshy.” He sat up, disoriented.

Joshua glared. “In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a fire.”

“Thank you for stating the obvious,” Crosshairs snapped and reached for Cade. He staggered to his feet and put one human on each shoulder. 

“Crosshairs--” Cade began.

“Just shut up and hold on,” Crosshairs growled. With unsteady steps, he made it to the wall directly behind the console. He grabbed a small cylinder and then went back to spray the fire with a blue foam which smothered it completely upon contact.

Crosshairs dropped the cylinder. He vented out heavily. “That was fun.”

Cade ran his hands soothingly over Crosshairs’ shoulder plate. “Are you okay?”

Crosshairs grinned. “It got a little dicey in there but I’m fine. After millennia of hacking Con databases, this was nothing.”

“Did you find anything of use?” Joshua asked.

“I think so.” Crosshairs swayed slightly on his pedes. “But the data’s still a bit jumbled. I need some time to recharge and for my processors to go through all the information.”

Cade nodded. “Then let’s get to the campsite for the night.”

“Joy,” Joshua drawled. “I’m so glad I came on this trip.”


	17. Chapter 17

Tessa was outside. The evening was cool with a pleasant breeze. She took a few steps away from the others and eagerly pressed the phone to her ear. “Dad! Is everything okay?”

“Yes.” Cade chuckled warmly. “We’re fine. Tessa.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re at the campsite for the night.”

“But where?” Tessa pressed.

“I’ll explain it all to you later,” Cade replied easily. “I promise. How are things there? How are Hound and Bee coming along?”

Tessa looked to where the two were sitting around the bonfire with Drift and Shane. Bumblebee was beeping enthusiastically and waving his arms. Hound laughed and slapped him on the back. Then Hound winced, just a little.

Tessa smiled. “They’re good. Hound’s still moving stiffly but the repairs are holding and Bee’s using his arm just fine. They’ve been telling us stories of old Cybertron.”

“What kind of stories?” Cade asked eagerly.

“All sorts of stuff. Their mythology. Stories of Primus the creator and Unicron the destroyer. Life before the war.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

“You could just ask Crosshairs.”

“No,” Cade said ruefully. “We’ve all had a long day. He’s in recharge. How’s Drift‘s leg?”

“Great. I was watching him practicing his David Carradine stuff earlier…”

Cade laughed and blurted out, “David Carradine stuff?”

Tessa laughed too. “Cybertronian Kung Fu. I swear, Dad, he’s a robotic Kwai Chang Caine. He offered to teach me.”

Cade growled. “We’ll discuss that later.”

Tessa rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. Anyway, to look at him, you’d never know that he was injured.”

“What about Optimus?”

Tessa’s good humor immediately evaporated. She frowned. She hugged her free arm across her chest.

“Tessa?” Cade asked, suddenly concerned.

“He went to clear the storm damage on a Chinese island. Drift says he needs some time alone to grieve.”

“I see,” Cade said quietly. “Drift has a point. Optimus needs to be strong for everyone else. He can’t let anyone see him break down.”

Tessa bit her bottom lip. “He heard me ask Bee and Hound about Ratchet. Maybe if I’d just kept my mouth shut…”

“No,” Cade interrupted, softly but firmly. “For some, grieving is intensely private. I didn’t let anyone else see me cry, not you, not your grandparents. I think the realization that Ratchet is gone has finally had a chance to sink in and he needs time.”

“I guess,” Tessa muttered, subdued. “It’s just…I wish that there was more that we could do.”

“I know. Everything will be all right.”

Tessa shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “When are you guys coming back?”

“In the next couple days.” 

Tessa kicked at the grass. There was an edge of petulance in her voice. “And then what? How long are we staying here? When can we go home?”

“I don’t know,” Cade sighed. “We’ll just have to wait and see. I have to go, Sweetheart. We want to get an early start tomorrow. Keep an eye on everything there.”

“I will.” Tessa heard the others laugh again and she smiled despite herself. “Night. I love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too.”

Tessa hung up and went to rejoin the group around the bonfire. “What’s so funny?”

Shane smiled up at her from his place on the ground. He offered a hand to her and then pulled her down to sit with him, her back to his chest. “The guys were just telling me about a game they used to play on Cybertron.” He nuzzled the side of her head and lowered his voice. “Everything okay with your dad?”

“Yeah,” Tessa whispered as she relaxed against Shane. “What type of game?”

“Lobbing,” Hound answered.

“Lobbing?” Tessa echoed while Shane snickered behind her.

“It is played with a large metal ball and you lob it at your opponent,” Drift explained. 

“One player throws the ball to the other player. If one player misses the ball, the other player wins,” Hound added excitedly. “It’s fun.”

“It does not require great skill,” Drift remarked dryly.

Hound sat up straighter. “Hey.”

Bumblebee scrambed to his feet. He pretended to be holding the ball in one arm. He turned like a discus thrower and let the imaginary ball fly.

Shane laughed quietly into Tessa shoulder. “It’s reverse dodge ball,” he whispered. “Can you imagine the racket?”

“You mean there’s no goal or hoop that you have to get the ball into?” Tessa asked.

Bumbleebee looked at her and chirped in puzzlement.

“I don’t know, Bee.” Hound scratched the back of his head. “He wants to know why there would be.”

Tessa chuckled. “I don’t know.”

“That seems overly complicated.”

“I suppose it would be,” Tessa agreed while Shane continued to shake with laughter behind her.


	18. Chapter 18

Something poked him and Cade’s foot jerked. He mumbled in his sleep. He pressed closer to the warmth against his chest.

Then there was a poke to his side. Cade squirmed and it happened again. His head shot up, his eyes still closed and his hair sticking up at odd angles.

There was an amused rev of an engine. Cade blinked. “Huh?”

Crosshairs snickered. “Good morning. Time to boot up your brain.”

Cade ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed the back of his neck. He peered out the tent flap to see Crosshairs crouched outside, looking in at them. The stick looked absurdly small in Crosshairs’ hand. He smiled despite himself. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s rude to poke people, Chromedome?”

“Since when do I care about being rude, you bag of blood and bones?” Crosshairs returned cheerfully. 

Cade yawned. “What time is it?”

“Just after six am.” Crosshairs continued smirking. “No wonder you wanted me to be nice to him.”

Cade blinked and realized that he was spooned against Joshua. They were decent, both completely clothed, except for boots, and in separate sleeping bags. He just stared at the sleeping man. 

“Frankly, I would expect you to have better taste.”

Cade started and glared at Crosshairs. “What?”

Crosshairs rolled his optics. “You were cuddling with him,” he pointed out as if speaking to a sparkling. “I’ve been here long enough to know that’s as much a sign of affection in your culture as in ours.”

Cade scrambled to his feet. He snatched the stick and whacked Crosshairs’ hand. “Out!”

Joshua jerked awake. “I’m awake. What’s going on?”

Crosshairs chuckled and backed away from the tent flap. “All right. All right. Why are fleshlings always so touchy?”

Cade threw the stick after him. “Nothing,” he answered Joshua. “Morning.”

Joshua rubbed his hands over face. “Morning,” he grunted.

Cade sat back down next to Joshua. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

Cade grinned. “Cause you’re not used to roughing it.”

Joshua grabbed his glasses. “Oh, shut up.”

Cade started pulling on his boots. “I brought some breakfast bars and dried fruit.”

Joshua followed suit. “That’s fine dining after the spaghetti-os from last night,” he teased and lightly nudged Cade.

Cade laughed. “Nothing but the best for your first camping experience.” 

“Do we have coffee?” Joshua asked hopefully.

“Instant.”

“That’ll work.”

Cade stood and offered Joshua a hand. Joshua didn’t hesitate to take it and let Cade help him to his feet. They stood close for a long moment, neither daring to look at the other.

Joshua cleared his throat. He brushed past Cade to duck under the tent flap. “Morning, Mr. Tall, Sneering, and Metallic,” he greeted brusquely.

Crosshairs barked out a laugh. “Morning.”

Cade felt the heat creeping up the back of his neck. “Stupid.” He grunted to himself, grabbed his pack, and followed Joshua out into the cool morning air.

Crosshairs was down one knee, tending a small campfire with a pot suspended over it. He backed away to let the humans take over. He sat on his knees so as not to look too far down at them. “I have learned that most adults on this planet cannot function until they have had their coffee and hot water is a necessary component.”

Cade crouched by the fire. He grinned at Crosshairs and then at Joshua. “Care to revise your opinion on the Autobots picking up the finer points of our society?”

Joshua chose a log not too far from Cade. He smiled. “Maybe after my coffee.”

Cade used a towel to handle the pot. He prepared two cups of coffee and handed one of them to Joshua. “You’ll have to take it black.”

“That’s how I like it.” Joshua tapped the side of the cup. “A tin cup. How old is this?” he asked in amusement.

“Just from my boy scout days,” Cade answered easily. He rummaged in his pack. “Strawberry or blueberry?”

“Blueberry.”

“That’s my favorite too.” Cade tossed Joshua a breakfast bar. He settled on the ground, his back against the log next to Joshua’s leg. He tore open the wrapper on his own breakfast. He ate half of it in two quick bites.

Joshua sipped his coffee. He regarded Crosshairs seriously. “I have to ask. Any ill effects from your adventure into the system last night?”

Crosshairs shook his helm. “No. I was able to defrag during my recharge and rid myself of any corrupted files. I have most of the ship’s database, including schematics.”

Cade finished with another two bites. He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Great!” he exclaimed. “Where do we start?”

“We start with the room that isn’t there.”

“What do you mean?” Joshua asked.

Crosshairs used his optics as a projector. The schematics hovered in blue 3D over the fire. “I mean the proportions in the schematic and of the ship don’t match. The ship is bigger than these would indicate.”

Joshua stood and slowly circled the schematic, his brow furrowed in thought. “A hidden chamber.”

Cade nodded. “A place for stuff that Lockdown didn’t even want his crew to know about.”

“Where would it be?”

A section of the schematic lit up, detached from the rest, and grew to a size for the humans to see all the details as Crosshairs answered, “Near the cells where he kept Prime.”

Cade sighed heavily. “He did say to check his trophies.”

Joshua blew out a long breath. “I’m glad I never met that guy.”


	19. Chapter 19

“Sam, you have already done much but you cannot help us anymore,” Optimus stated, firm and with no trace of emotion.

Sam Witwicky bled from a small gash on the side of his head. He was covered in dirt. His clothes were torn. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. He glared up at Optimus and the rest of the Autobots. He stood in the middle with them a circle around him. Some were in a good state of repair with only minors dings and dents from the battle of Chicago. Some rested in their vehicle modes. The others with more immediate injuries lay still, waiting for Ratchet to get to them repaired well enough to travel.

Sam swallowed heavily. “They can’t do this to you.”

“Sam,” Will Lennox tried. His clothes were in the same state as Sam’s. He put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.

Sam jerked away. “No!”

Robert Epps appeared at Sam’s other side, just as disheveled as his companions. His right arm was in a sling. “Kid,” he said, gently but firmly. “Big Buddha’s right.”

“Why!” Sam shouted. He whirled on Epps and waved his arms. “They saved us! This is the third time they’ve saved us! We all would’ve been Decepticon chow by now if it weren’t for them.”

“And some would say that this war would’ve never touched you if it were not for the Allspark landing on this planet,” Ratchet put in from where he was repairing Sideswipe’s shoulder.

Optimus’ voice was as calm as ever. “Your leaders have dissolved the alliance, Sam. I cannot find it in my Spark to condemn them for it. I trusted Sentinel blindly and that extracted a heavy price in blood.”

“And metal,” Sideswipe snarled. “Don’t forget what that slagger did to Ironhide.”

“I will never forget,” Optimus vowed. His voice was low and earnest and seemed to cut through all present.

Sam looked up at Optimus pleadingly. “Optimus…”

Will stepped in front of Sam and held Sam’s gaze. “They no longer have a safe haven here, Sam.” 

“But…”

Rob stood behind Sam so Sam couldn’t back away. He rested his free hand in the center of Sam’s back. “Galloway is still out there. He’s been against the alliance from the beginning.”

Will grimaced but didn’t break eye contact. “Chicago has given him all the ammunition he needs.”

Sam took a few deep breaths but his face was still flushed. “Have they been declared our enemies?”

“Not yet.”

“But I wouldn’t be surprised if they are,” Rob added bitterly. “People tend to have short memories and there are plenty who want to destroy anything that is alien or that they can’t understand.”

Optimus vented out heavily. “Sam, I’m sorry, but we must leave.”

Sam blinked back tears and shoved Will away. “This isn’t right.”

Bumblebee knelt down in front of Sam. His optics cycled wide. He chattered and whirred sadly and gently.

Sam stepped closer. He rested his hands against Bumblebee’s chest plates. “Then take me with you.”

“What of your family? What of Carly?” Optimus asked. “They need you.”

“I…” Sam’s voice trailed off helplessly.

“And we’ll help you guys find somewhere to start over,” Will said softly.

Rob set his mouth in a grim line. “We’re all gonna need to.”

Sam opened his mouth but abruptly shut it again. He hung his head and slumped against Bumblebee. “I’m so sorry, Bee.”

Bumblebee wrapped an arm around Sam and gently rocked Sam against him. He chose a clip in Humphrey Bogart’s voice. “But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that.” 

Sam pulled away. He sniffed and wiped his eyes. He managed a watery smile and a sarcastic drawl, “Thanks for casting me as the girl, Bee.”

Optimus’ memory banks recorded everything from that day. He remembered the vacant lot in the shadow of the burned out building that used to be the Art Institute of Chicago. He remembered the temperature was seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit. He remembered it was an overcast day. He remembered no extraneous sounds, either human, animal, or bird. He remembered the pall that hung over the city, that sense of desloation, akin to the final days of Cybertron. Lastly, he remembered the lost look in Sam’s eyes and the way it was echoed in Bumblebee’s body language.

Optimus stood on the mountain overlooking the rest of the island again. He’d cleared all the debris, but the sight of the barren patches in the midst of the lush forest was still jarring. Every place he visited on this planet was always so…alive and alien, but he’d come to expect that. In a way, that alien vibrancy had come to be comforting.

That is, when he wasn’t running for his life, when he wasn’t telling his mechs to hide from those they had once put their trust in. That was before he had to cut himself off from his Ratchet. That was before the spark-deep loneliness had set in.

He knew the others would ask him of their next step when he returned to base. To his shame, he found he had no ready answers. They could always go back into hiding again, but that was no way to live. It was only a way to exist. He would not dishonor Ratchet’s memory by going back to that, to that limbo, simply waiting for the end.

From what Cade said, the US President had no knowledge of Harold Attinger and Cemetery Wind. But if a leader could not control his subordinates, how could the man be of any use? He wasn’t sure if he could ever trust the Americans again to negotiate in good faith. He knew those under his command never would.

However, how far could he trust the Chinese? He knew they were traditional enemies of the Americans, but that didn’t mean they would not come to view the Autobots in the same way as the Americans, as tools to be used and discarded or enemies to be scrapped. How long would they allow use of the abandoned base? He was sure there were missiles on the mainland targeted at the Autobots. “If we should become a threat,” Optimus muttered to himself.

Perhaps, they could rehabilitate Lockdown’s ship to leave this planet. But he’d been there during the crash. They would never find the necessary resources and tools to make that ship space worthy. He would not have them stranded in space, suffering from a different kind of limbo, but awaiting a similar end.

Something niggled in the back of his processor. Don’t forget Galvatron. He did not perish in battle.

Optimus shuttered his optics. His old enemy may have had a new body and a new name, but it was still Megatron. And he didn’t have a way off the planet either.

Optimus had been so busy dealing with Lockdown that Galvatron had plenty of time to escape. Galvatron may not have an army or the seed, but he was still dangerous and Optimus had no doubt they would see each other again.

But, at the moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care. He’d been living his conflict with Megatron for so long that it was just another part of him. When the time came, he would fight because there was no choice in the matter.

It was Ratchet’s strength that he missed. It was Ratchet’s passion and dedication. It was the love and respect from someone who knew him deeper than the Prime, who had always seen past the title.

He just stared at the desolation because he couldn’t think of anything else to do.


	20. Chapter 20

Even in the full light of day, the interior of the ghost ship was still gloomy and unnerving. They moved steadily deeper into the interior where less sunlight could penetrate. After the third time they came to a sheared-through deck and unstable floor plates creaking as if to give way, Crosshairs insisted the humans ride on his shoulders. “You fall into that darkness, you ain’t coming back,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Cade peered into the dim. “Have you noticed that all of the emergency lights have gone out?”

Crosshairs ducked into a narrow passageway. The lights from his headlights glinted off dirty and damaged metal. His field flared out in search of threats. “Accessing the mainframe yesterday and the subsequent activation of defense protocols drained the rest of the power.”

Joshua held on tightly. He looked around nervously but the anxiety didn’t kill his curiosity. “What does it run on?”

“Energon. It was the fuel and lifeblood of Cyberton. But even if we had a ready source of fuel…” Crosshairs barely touched the wall and his hand easily went through. “…this ship is dead. It’s already beginning to decay into rust. Give it a few Earth months and it will be nothing more than a rust stain on the landscape.”

“So quickly?”

“It’s not like your Earth metals. It’s highly adaptable even in this state and will recycle into its environment.”

A loud screeching sound of a bulkhead buckling echoed through the ship. All three of them tensed. Cade was the first to find his voice. “Where was that?”

Crosshairs tilted his head to the side. “The far side of the ship. I don’t detect any immediate danger of collapse in this section.”

Joshua squirmed. “I’m all for science but maybe we should get out of here. I’m not sure this is worth it.”

Crosshairs continued moving forward. He grunted. “No.”

Cade shook his head. “Not until we’ve done what we came here for.”

“Keep your skin on. We’re almost there.”

Joshua pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m trying to understand.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I really am, but Ratchet is gone. Don’t you think your time would be better served in helping Prime come to terms with it instead of chasing ghosts?”

Crosshairs jerked and froze. 

Cade felt Crosshairs’ engine rev harder underneath him. He saw Crosshairs’ scowl. “Joshua, I’d stop if I were you.”

“But--” Joshua tried to protest.

“Quit talking,” Crosshairs growled. He grabbed Joshua and held him in front of his face. He barely squeezed and his optics flashed in anger. “You have no idea how close my restraint is to snapping. Ratchet was my friend and more than that to Prime. One more word and I will drop you into one of those holes and let you rust with this ship. Do I make myself clear?”

Joshua batted ineffectually at Crosshairs’ hand but he couldn’t even squirm. His eyes got wide. He clapped a hand over his mouth and nodded frantically.

Cade rubbed Crosshairs’ plating. “Crosshairs, enough,” he said soothingly. “He gets it.”

“Does he?” Crosshairs snarled.

“Yes. Please.” One end of Cade’s mouth quirked up. “There are more important things to do right now than you tearing him limb from limb and it would be bloody.” He saw Joshua’s eyes get even wider and Joshua was red in the face. However that didn’t stop him from continuing. “You hate organic messes on your plating.”

Crosshairs growled again but put Joshua back on his shoulder. He ducked from the hallway into the largest room they’d been in so far. Just like the rest of the ship, it was dark and every surface showed damage. “Gentleman, welcome to the cells.”

Cade counted six metallic cages, each larger than his first apartment. “They look like they are growing out of the wall.”

“That’s because they did.” Crosshairs started scanning the area. “Found Prime hanging upside down in one of these.”

“Upside down?”

“Yes. Lockdown wasn’t one for the comfort of his prisoners,” Crosshairs said dryly.

Cade looked around. “So, how do we find this secret chamber?”

Crosshairs circled a small area. “It should be right around here, but where’s the entrance?”

Cade rubbed his chin and intently examined their surroundings. “It all looks the same.”

Joshua knocked on Crosshairs’ armor and looked at Cade expectantly.

“Fine,” Crosshairs spit out. 

“What is it?” Cade asked much kinder.

Joshua pointed at a set of identical grooves in the same spot on each wall and on the floor. “We haven’t seen those before. What are those?”

Crosshairs peered at the grooves. “Sonic blades. They cut through anything and generally make a grisly mess. Lockdown was a vicious fragger. Thank Primus there’s no power for them,”

“So, they would come out from all the walls and the floor.”

“Yes.”

“And all intersect right here where you’re standing.”

Crosshairs looked at Joshua suspiciously. “Yes.”

Joshua smirked. “Then we’re here. The chamber we’re looking for is below this spot.”

Cade frowned in thought. “How do you figure?”

“Think about it,” Joshua said excitedly. “We’ve been looking out for booby traps since we’ve set foot in here, but this is the first evidence we’ve found of any. From everything I hear about Lockdown, he was arrogant enough to believe no one would ever sneak onto his ship and if they did, he would’ve taken great pleasure in hunting down any intruders himself. He simply didn’t need the traps in the rest of the ship.” He pointed down to the deck. “So, what else would make this one spot so special?”

Cade grinned. “I buy it.”

“It makes sense,” Crosshairs grudgingly allowed.

Cade thumped Crosshairs. “You bet it does, but how do we get in there? Everything in here is trashed.”

“Simple enough. I’ll just make a door,” Crosshairs announced, took one step back, and fired into the floor.


	21. Chapter 21

Crosshairs ignored the squawks from the humans. He didn’t wait for the smoke from the charred metal to dissipate. He didn’t look down. He just reached up to steady the humans and dropped into the hole in the deck.

Joshua barely caught his glasses before he could lose them. He scowled. “Haven’t you ever heard the expression look before you leap?”

Crosshairs dropped his hands to his sides. He turned his head to smirk at Joshua. “No and don’t test my patience.”

Cade let out a breath in awe. “Uh, guys. Look.”

Crosshairs and Joshua stopped glaring at each other to take in their surroundings. Soft lighting filled the room and it was warmer than the rest of the ship. Large black cases lined three walls. Full shelves were visible in two of the cases while the third had a flat metal screen protecting it. A flat view screen took up almost the entire fourth wall. There was a console sitting before the screen. A single high-backed seat made of polished black metal sat in the very center.

Cade snickered and nodded to a set of large white horns. “Check out that pair of horns. Why weren’t they on the nose of the ship?”

“Those are from a turok,” Crosshairs explained. He regarded Cade as if he was a dull glitch. “And the ship never had a nose. It wouldn’t need one. There are no smells in space.”

Cade laughed and put his hands up. “Never mind. It’s a joke from an old Earth custom.”

Joshua pointed to a large jar containing two large pink sacks suspended in a clear solution. “Do I want to know what those are?”

“I doubt it,” Crosshairs answered dryly. “There are organic life forms similar to yours throughout the universe, simply on a large scale.”

Joshua winced. “That’s what I thought.”

Crosshairs sat in the chair to discover that it could swivel in a complete circle. “He must have spent a lot of time in here admiring his handiwork.”

Cade took everything in with avid attention. “I see something that looks like the tail from the alien in the Alien movies, a clawed metal hand…”

“Most likely from a Con seeker,” Crosshairs put in.

“…more jars, a broken sword…what is that? A tentacle?”

Crosshairs looked where Cade was pointing. “Yeah. Mechsquid.”

Cade grinned. “Mechsquid. Okay. What else…That looks like a huge fuel pump.”

“Cause that’s what it is.”

“What is this? A movie theatre of a freak show?” Joshua muttered.

Crosshairs laughed and stood. He went over to the screen and tapped a few keys on the console. “Home movies.”

An arid, sandy landscape popped up on screen. The sky was a deep indigo and there were two moons in the sky.

Joshua shrugged. “That’s not so bad.”

Crosshairs folded his arms across his chest. “Wait for it.”

Suddenly, there was a pained yelp and a large shaggy white mechanimal ran into view. It had the impressive white horns on its head. Steaks of blue blood marred its white coat. Lockdown stepped into the frame. He let out between a snarl and a laugh. He raised his cannon and fired.

Crosshairs grunted. “Turoks are rare. It’s quite a coup to bag one.”

Another video started. Joshua turned away. “No more.”

Crosshairs turned it off. “There are plenty more in that database.”

Joshua shivered. “Re-living his kills. Sick bastard.”

“You got that right,” Crosshairs agreed solemnly.

Cade frowned suddenly. “The rest of the ship is dead. How is there power in here?”

“Secondary generator, I would think, but that will begin to fail without the main systems to support it.”

Cade peered at all of the objects again. “You knew Ratchet. Was any of this his? Does any of this remind you of him?”

“No,” Crosshairs answered sourly. “I see many lost lives here but not the Doc’s.”

Cade pointed to the case with the protective screen. “We haven’t checked that one yet.”

Crosshairs walked over to it. “I don’t see a control panel.” He reached up and ran his servos along the edges of the screen. His fingers brushed over a small sensor node and the screen slid to the side to reveal rows of glass spheres resembling snow globes. His internal temperature jumped and his cooling fans kicked on.

“Crosshairs,” Cade tried anxiously.

“Hey!” Joshua shouted.

Crosshairs rebooted his optics as he jerked his hands away from the case. “It can’t be,” he said raggedly.

Joshua’s questions came out in quick succession. “What do you mean? What are we looking at? All I see are empty glass globes.”

Cade shook his head. “Not all of them. Look at those two with the blue lights inside.” He patted Crosshairs’ armor beneath him. “Crosshairs, are those what I think they are? Are those sparks?”

Crosshairs nodded and let out a groan from deep in his vocalizer. He let his field reach out to them. “Yes.”

“Who are they?”

Crosshairs didn’t answer right away. The words wouldn’t come out of his vocalizer. He clenched his servos into fists at his sides.

“Crosshairs, who?” Cade asked again, gently.

“That slagger,” Crosshairs snarled.

Cade grunted. “For God’s sake, just tell us!”

“Doc and Leadfoot.” Crosshairs shuddered in dread. He shuttered his optics. “They’re not free even in death. He’s trapped them here. I don’t know if we really rejoin Primus in the Well or if that’s a bunch of slag, but they don’t deserve this.”

Cade thumped Crosshairs’ armor this time. “What do we do?” he demanded. “How do we help them?”

“Um….” Crosshairs groped for an answer but his processors were stalling.

“We can’t leave them here or they’ll die with the ship.”

Joshua cleared his throat. “What if we rig a portable battery from the secondary generator? Then we could take the sparks with us.”

Cade grinned widely. “That’s a great idea!” He thumped Crosshairs again. “Well?”

Crosshairs cleared his vocalizer. He let his hands relax. He nodded once. “I can do that.”


	22. Chapter 22

Drift met Tessa outside the human barracks. He inclined his head. “Good morning, Tessa.”

Tessa smiled brightly. “Hey, Drift.”

Drift knelt down to see her better. “How are you? Have you fueled?”

Tessa’s hair was in a ponytail. She wore yoga pants, a t shirt, and flip fops. She laughed. “I’m good and yes I have. Have you?”

Drift smiled. “Yes.”

Tessa rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “Good. I can’t wait to get started.”

Drift straightened up. “Will Shane be joining us?”

Tessa snickered and waved that off. “Nah. He’s still snoring. He hates mornings.”

“I see,” Drift responded dryly.

Tessa fell into step beside Drift. “What are Hound and Bee up to?”

“They are still in recharge as well. Hound is still weak and we have not been in a safe place for recharge for some time. This break is welcome.”

Tessa frowned suddenly and hugged her arms across her chest. She rubbed her arms. “We were on the run for a week and it totally sucked. I can’t imagine hiding for years. How did you stand it?”

“It was not easy.” Drift vented heavily. His voice was sad but not bitter. “I am not afraid of death but that did not stop me from wondering when it would be my turn. I have mourned many friends in my time. I have mourned my own planet.”

Tessa shivered. “Oh, Drift. I’m so sorry.”

Drift managed a small smile. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were not involved in what became a very costly and fruitless war. You are not the one who betrayed us on this planet.” He stopped. He cocked his head to the side as he watched her. “Are you cold? Perhaps, we should do this indoors.”

Tessa chuckled despite herself. “No, Drift. I’m fine.” She patted his leg. She looked up at him earnestly. “The sun’s out and it feels great out here. Just thinking about what happened to you guys makes me sad.”

“You have a kind heart.”

Tessa blushed. “Thanks.”

Drift regarded her with gentle amusement. “There is no cause for embarrassment.”

Tessa felt her cheeks grow even redder. “Can we just do this please?”

Mercifully, Drift started walking again. He removed the bulky outer pieces of his armor and his swords as he led the way to his favored spot outside the walls. “Are you certain you wish to do this?”

Tessa nodded once, resolutely. “Yes.”

“I do not believe that your father will approve.”

Tessa slipped off the flip flops and stepped into the cool grass. She turned back to Drift and smiled ruefully. “He really doesn’t have any room to talk, does he?” 

Drift took his place. He slowly stretched his arms and his legs to make sure there were no kinks in any of his fuel lines. “What do you mean?”

Tessa rolled her eyes and wiggled her toes in the grass. “He’s off doing God knows what with Crosshairs.”

Drift smirked. “I see.” 

Tessa watched him. She took the opportunity to stretch as well. “I hope they come back soon.”

“As do I.” 

“What do you think will happen after that?”

Drift shrugged. “That is for a wiser head to decide.”

Tessa smiled. “I don’t know, Drift. You seem pretty wise to me.”

Drift chuckled. “I am not what…how did Crosshairs phrase it…Mr. Leader of the Free Galaxy.”

Tessa’s face fell. She hugged her arms across her chest again. She stared at the ground and bit her lip.

Drift barely touched her shoulder with the tip of his finger. “Do not start down the path of those destructive thoughts again. Prime lost his other half. We must allow him to grieve in his own way.”

“How long were they together?” Tessa whispered.

“Vorns.”

Tessa kept staring at the grass. “How long is that?”

“A very long time. We will begin slow. Follow my movements,” Drift ordered gently. He raised his arms and held them out straight in front of him. “Come now, Tessa.”

Tessa jerked. She took a deep breath and copied him. “Okay.”

Drift held his arms out to his sides. He waited for her to imitate him. Then he turned to his left, keeping that arm extended, and curled his right arm over his head.

Tessa did the same. She followed Drift into rolling her shoulders forward. She focused on the motions, the breeze against her skin, and the grass under her feet. Her anxiety began to melt away.

Drift’s movements were slow, steady, and graceful. He held his arms over his head, his servos clasped together. “That’s it, Tessa. Good.”

They repeated the same basic moves over again. Tessa was in sync with Drift. She held her right fist close to her side. She pushed her left palm out and swept it in front of her.

“Fluid, Tessa,” Drift coaxed. “One move flows into the next. That’s it.”

“Beautiful, Babe!”

Drift didn’t stop, so Tessa didn’t stop. She couldn’t see the source of the shout. “Where are you, Shane!”

“Up here!”

Tessa glanced up to see Shane watching from the observation tower. “Why don’t you come down here and join in.”

Shane let out a loud whistle. “No, thanks. I’m enjoying the show.”

“I’m sure you are!” Tessa continued. She turned to show Shane her back and another one of her assets that she knew he appreciated.

“What can I say? You’ve got the moves, Babe!”

“Will you two kindly stop talking.” Drift came to a smooth stop. He held a servo up to the side of his helm as the internal comm link activated. He was in his normal stance of relaxed alertness but there was something in the way he shifted his weight.

Tessa came to stand next to Drift’s foot. “What is it?”

There was a slight edge of excitement in Drift’s voice. “Your father and Crosshairs are on their way back and they need us to get Prime back here as soon as possible.”


	23. Chapter 23

A vague but urgent request to return and two hours later, Optimus drove through the main gate. He transformed into his bi-pedal form just as the others came out to greet him. They gathered around him.

“Boss, it’s great that you’re back,” Hound’s voice boomed.

Bumblebee chirped excitedly in agreement.

Drift gave a slight bow. “Sensei.”

Tessa and Shane stood by Optimus’ pede. “Optimus!” she shouted while he waved. “Are you all right.”

“Well enough, Tessa.” Optimus’ voice was as calm and still as ever with a hint of warmth. “It’s good to see all of you too.” He took a few moments to look his bots over and run a couple quick scans. “I am pleased that all of you are healing well.” 

Drift nodded. “These last few days of rest and recharge have been of great benefit.”

“Maybe,” Hound grumbled. “But I’m getting a little bored.”

Bumblebee’s eyes cycled wide. He chirped merrily. He thumped Hound’s shoulder.

Hound rolled his optics. “I had you that last match. You beat me with a lucky shot, Bee. And I am not a sore loser.”

George Carlin came out of Bumblebee’s vocalizer. “Sore loser? You bet your fuckin' ass! What on earth is wrong with being a sore loser? It shows you cared about whatever the contest was in the first place. Fuck losing graciously-that's for chumps. And losers, by the way.” 

“Don’t forget I beat both of you,” Shane drawled.

Tessa elbowed him. “Will you guys stop talking about that stupid game.” 

Shane wrapped an arm around her and nuzzled the top of her head. “Don’t be like that, Babe.”

Tessa simply elbowed him again.

Optimus cleared his vocalizer. He put one servo on Drift’s shoulder and the other on Hound’s. “Now, what is so urgent that I had to return?”

Suddenly, the others were tense. All optics and eyes went to Drift. Drift lowered his gaze to the ground. “It is because of Crosshairs and Cade Yeager.”

There was nothing but a respectful feeling of distance to Drift’s field and Optimus ducked his helm to try and see his face. “What about them?” Optimus asked steadily. “Where are they?”

“They are on their way back here.”

Optimus squeezed Drift’s shoulder. “From where?”

Drift hesitated.

“Drift,” Optimus prompted in concern. “Drift, look at me.”

Drift hesitated for a split second more but did so. “Perhaps, I should allow them to explain their mission and their reasoning to you.”

Before Optimus could press the issue, Crosshairs arrived with AC/DC blasting and screeching and smoking tires. He came to a halt in the center of main square of the compound. The music stopped just as Cade hopped out.

Tessa ran to Cade and threw her arms around him. “Dad! I’m so glad you’re back.”

Cade hugged her tightly and lifted her off her feet. “There’s my girl.” He set her back down but kept an arm around her shoulders.

Optimus went down on one knee before Cade, next to Crosshairs. “What is going on? Crosshairs, where have you been?”

Crosshairs didn’t transform from his vehicle mode. “Lockdown’s ship,” he answered wearily.

“Dad!” Tessa gasped. “Why?”

Optimus jerked as if he’d been slapped in the face. His voice was a low, displeased rumble. “I thought I made it clear that you were to stay away from there.”

Cade gave Tessa a quick squeeze before stepped away from her. He fearlessly closed the distance between himself and Optimus. He put his hands up. “Don’t be mad at him, Optimus. It was my idea.”

Optimus leaned in close to Cade. His optics narrowed dangerously. “Your idea.”

Cade didn’t flinch. He held Optimus’ gaze. “Yes. I needed to find out for sure if Lockdown was lying about Ratchet. This is all on me. Crosshairs only came along to protect me and Drift covered for us. The rest didn’t know.”

A low growl came from deep within Optimus’ chassis. “I thought you of all humans would respect my wishes, Cade.”

Cade touched the warm metal plating before him. “Optimus, you’re my friend,” he said earnestly. “I had to be sure.”

“And it’s a good thing, too, Prime,” Crosshairs added. There was a hesitant edge to his voice but he continued straight on. “I thought the bastard was just twisting the knife and taunting you, but Cade was right. There’s more to it.”

Optimus clenched one servo into a fist. “What did you find?”

Cade stepped out of the way. “Show him, Crosshairs.”

Crosshairs opened his doors and his trunk. “We found these in the slagger’s trophy room.”

Optimus peeked inside to see two glass chambers containing bright blue lights taking up the entire back seat. They were hooked up to the battery in the trunk. His intakes stalled and his spark twisted anxiously in his chest.

“What are those?” Tessa asked.

Hound was on Crosshairs’ other side. His face broke into a wide grin. “By Primus! Are those sparks?”

Optimus already knew. He desperately wanted to reach out but held himself rigidly still instead. He kept his field tightly to himself.

“Yeah,” Crosshairs answered excitedly. “I think it’s Doc and Leadfoot.”


	24. Chapter 24

Optimus abruptly transforming into his vehicle mode and tearing out of the base stunned the others. The other Aubobots stared at each other. Cade, Tessa, and Shane traded tense looks.

Crosshairs was the first to find his voice. His engine vibrated in frustration. “Well slag. That could’ve gone better.”

Hound leaned heavily against the nearby wall. “Yeah. Do we…” His vocalizer clicked and he head to reset it. “Do we go after him?”

Drift frowned. “I don’t think that would be a good idea, Hound.”

Bumblebee’s optics cycled wide. He beeped sadly. His comrades could feel the hesitation flicker in his field.

Drift patted Bumblebee’s shoulder. His voice was low and gentle. He let his calm field wrap around Bumblebee. “He will return when he’s ready.”

Bumblebee leaned into Drift’s side. He beeped, still subdued, but nodded.

“Dad?” Tessa asked.

Cade nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He managed a small smile. “They’re right. He’ll be back when he’s cooled off.”

Tessa pointed at the sparks. “But isn’t this a good thing?”

“It is,” Hound said roughly. His lip plates clamped down on his cygar. “But…”

“But what?”

“But Prime’s just found out that his mate’s very essence has been sitting in Lockdown’s trophy case this whole time,” Crosshairs answered caustically. “Doc’s not dead but he’s not alive either. He’s in some fragged up limbo.”

Drift bowed his helm. “Think of it as Lockdown keeping his soul.”

Tessa shuddered in dread. Her voice cracked. “That’s terrible.”

Shane slid an arm around Tessa’s waist from the other side. He kissed the top of her head. “The bastard’s dead,” he whispered vehemently. “We saw Optimus kill him. He can’t hurt any of us any more.” He raised his head and his voice. “Now that we’ve got the sparks back, what do we do?”

Hound crawled closer to study the spark chambers and the battery. “We have to keep the containment chambers powered. If we don’t, the sparks will flicker and die.”

“So, let’s hook them up to the base’s main generator.”

Hound rubbed the back of his neck. “We can try. Cybertronian and human technology don’t always mix.”

“Crosshairs, how much power is left in the battery?” Drift asked.

“Down to thirty percent,” Crosshairs growled as he gunned his engine again. “I made the battery out of the secondary generator in the trophy room. It was running low at the time without the ship’s main systems supporting it.”

Drift looked at Crosshairs knowingly. “You hooked it up to your own systems, didn’t you?”

“Had to or we would’ve lost them on the flight back,” Crosshairs responded as if it was nothing. “I can conserve more energy in this form. I’ll be fine.”

Cade kissed the side of Tessa’s head and pulled away. He motioned for Hound to follow him. “Come on, Big Guy. Let’s see what we can do to make Cybertronian and human tech play nice.”

Hound straightened up. “Lead the way.”

Tessa started to follow. “Could you use a couple extra pairs of hands?”

Cade smirked over his shoulder. “Are you sure? You used to hate the workshop at home.”

Tessa rolled her eyes and grabbed Shane’s arm to pull him along. “I didn’t hate the workshop. I only hated that you spent every waking hour there.”

Bumblebee disappeared with them. Drift gracefully dropped to his knees next to Crosshairs. He gently rested a servo on Crosshairs’ roof. “Is speeding and blasting AC/DC really a sound strategy for conserving energy?” he asked dryly.

“Slag off,” Crosshairs grumbled but made no move to shake off Drift’s servo.


	25. Chapter 25

Optimus left a trail of burned rubber on the road before he turned off into the grass. His much larger tires and heavier frame left massive furrows in the ground that made Crosshairs’ marks look like they had been made by a child. However, the combined sounds of his engine and tearing Earth were not enough to drown out Lockdown’s voice in his processor.

You don’t want to hear of my hunts of other Autobots on this backwater planet. Leadfoot…Smokescreen…Seaspray…Ultra Magnus…

Optimus pushed his engine to go harder, faster. Heat warnings flashed through his processor but he didn’t care. He heard the sounds of his plates scraping against the building he had been pinned to as if it was happening now.

My last hunt was your dear medic. Ratchet was his name, wasn’t it?

Optimus couldn’t get enough air in his intakes, yet he tried to push himself even harder. He couldn’t see his surroundings and his scanners were scrambled. He saw Lockdown leaning towards him.

You should never have abandoned your spark mate, Prime. Did you feel his pain through your bond or were you too busy rusting to notice?

Optimus made a mad grab for Lockdown. The sword slid in deeper. The pain shot through his side.

I gave him a chance to save himself. All he had to do was lead me to you. He said never so I took his spark and the humans took his body for scrap. A tragic end for such a brilliant mind.

Optimus lost all control of his field. It pulsed wildly around him in rage, guilt, and fear. The only one there to notice was Lockdown’s ghost.

You should have believed me, Prime. You should have been the one to check my trophy case, not your pet human. You know I don’t lie about my hunts I don’t have to. Your mate’s spark belongs to me now. Didn’t you always vow to protect him? I thought a Prime’s word was worth more.

“Silence!” Optimus shouted out loud and Lockdown laughed. “Slagger! I ripped you apart for what you did to Ratchet! My only regret is that I cannot do it again!”

My, my. The great Optimus Prime, the kind, compassionate leader of the Autobots. What would the others think to see you now? What would you feel in their fields? Anger? Sorrow? Pity?

“I said silence!”

No. Your spark and field are viciously curling in on themselves, almost trying to devour your very essence. It is quite the show. A snake trying to eat its own tail, if you will. Did you know the humans have a special name for this snake? It’s called the Ouroboros. It symbolizes death and rebirth and all that slag.

“Shut up!” Optimus snarled and Lockdown laughed again contemptuously.

You using such a crude human phrase. I can hardly believe it. What has become of your manners?

Optimus didn’t know what to do with the heat and rage burning through his circuits. “Be gone! You’re not real!” 

I am as real as you are letting me be. You can’t escape from your own thoughts, Prime. And what have you been thinking since Cade brought you back from that scrap yard? I may have put dear Ratchet out of his misery but his energon is also on your own head. The last conversation you had with him, he begged you to let him come to you. How did you respond? You closed your end of the bond.

“I did it to protect him, to protect all of us!”

So you say. Pretty words, Prime. Pretty words. Do you think they were of any comfort to him at the end?

Optimus didn’t see the massive trunk from a tree snapped in the storm. He hit it and went flying. He transformed back into his bi-pedal form just before he hit the ground. He rolled a few times before he stopped on his back. He lay still, desperately choking to get air into his intakes.

He died alone. Lockdown leaned over Optimus’ prone form. He held his hand over Optimus’ chest plates, over his spark chamber. Can you feel it? Can you feel your own spark spinning in agitation and condemnation in your chest?

Optimus tried to raise his arm to bat Lockdown away but he couldn’t move. “You’re not real,” he ground out.

Lockdown grinned. His mouth didn’t move but his words were crisp and clear and full of menace. You haven’t opened your end of the bond since that night in the junk yard, have you? After you found out what happened, you were too afraid to feel that gaping hole in your spark. You’re too afraid to deal with your own pain, so you run and hide. 

“I am not hiding!” Optimus shot up into a sitting position. He tried to grab Lockdown but his hand went straight through Lockdown’s form.

Lockdown smirked. As you say, I’m not real, but your thoughts are.

Optimus was shaking. He shuttered his optics, trying to find that innate calmness that he’d always carried. However, it seemed to have deserted him.

Lockdown sat next to Optimus. Now your mate’s spark has been rescued along with another comrade’s and what are you doing?

Optimus stared straight ahead. “I’m wrestling with a pit spawned demon.”

That reminds me of another Earth legend. Have you heard the tale of Jacob wrestling with God?

“Yes. I have familiarized myself with the primary writings of the main religions on this planet.” Optimus snorted. “And you are no god. You are a demon of my own making.”

Have you ever thought on what the story means?

Optimus finally looked at Lockdown and the smirk he wished he could wipe from Lockdown’s face. “What are you talking about?”

And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

“Again, how does this pertain to me?”

You have also striven with gods, men, and machines and are still here to tell the tale. It is time to move forward and deal with what is, not regret what has already been. You may not believe that you deserve another chance with Ratchet, but the opportunity is here.

Optimus arched an optic ridge. “How is it that you are encouraging me after exposing all of my darkest thoughts?”

Because I’m not the real Lockdown. I’m the part of you that’s telling you to get up off your aft.


	26. Chapter 26

Even after facing his darkest thoughts, Optimus couldn’t bring himself to face the others just yet. He didn’t want the pity. He didn’t deserve it because of the many ways he’d failed, the many ways he gave into cowardice.

It was dark by the time he crept just close enough to base for it to be within his long range scanners. He stayed well out of sight of the walls and none of the other Autobots had the ability to detect him at long range if not actively searching for him.

He picked up Cade’s quiet, but satisfied, sigh first. “See,” Cade said proudly. “I told you we could do it, Big Guy.”

A low chuckle rumbled from Hound’s vocalizer. “That you did, just in time too. Crosshairs wasn’t going to disconnect from those sparks until he was sure it would work.”

“Will Crosshairs be all right?” Cade asked.

“With the way Drift had to support him out,” Tessa added worriedly.

“He’ll be fine when he wakes up from recharge,” Hound replied with quiet assurance. “He’ll be his normal charming self.”

The grin was evident in Cade’s voice. “Great!”

Tessa laughed too. “I’m just glad you didn’t blow us all up.”

Optimus could picture Cade rolling his eyes as the human just drawled, “Yeah. Yeah. Your faith astounds me.”

Optimus could see her answering smirk. “Your track record isn’t the best, Dad.”

“Our converted lab looks like something out of an episode of MacGyver,” Shane put in impishly.

Bumblebee chirped in amusement.

Hound snorted a laugh.

“What did he say?” Tessa and Shane chorused.

“He said it reminded him more of an A-Team building sequence.”

Cade snickered. “If MacGyver ever got together with the A-Team, they would be unstoppable.”

Tessa giggled. “Leave it for the remake, Dad.”

“I hate remakes,” Cade grumbled.

Hound groaned. “It’s been a long day. I’m ready for recharge. How about you, Bee?”

Bumblebee beeped in agreement.

Cade yawned. “Me, too. You too, Tessa and Lucky Charms. You guys look like you’re ready to drop.”

“Okay,” Tessa murmured. “What about Optimus?”

“He’ll be back when he’s ready,” Cade answered gently.

“Don’t worry about Prime,” Hound added. “He can take care of himself.”

Optimus waited until all noise from the base ceased. He crept closer. He detected nothing but systems humming in recharge and the humans breathing deeply. 

Optimus snuck through the base, all his systems focused on one thing: Ratchet’s spark. Ratchet’s beautiful blue spark.

The sparks were beacon in the dark lab. He didn’t bother with the lights. His scanners detected the wires covering the floor and the Frankenstein mass of electronics in the corner but he didn’t pay them any attention.

He dropped to his knees in front of the glass globe containing Ratchet’s spark. He couldn’t stop staring at that comforting light. He reached for his calm center and yet it still eluded him. He desperately yearned for Ratchet, for that strength, stability, and love.

Without consciously realizing it, Optimus gently rested a servo on either side of the globe. He avidly watched Ratchet’s spark flicker and brighten at his presence. His chest plates slid aside without a sound. His spark reached out in a need to be whole again.

_They’re here. They’ve found me._

His circuits buzzed and his systems heated for the upcoming confrontation. There was anger and a frustrated feeling of why was this happening. There was fear, but not terror. He’d seen too much, done too much, lost too much for terror. Underlining it all was a spark-deep weariness.

He heard them coming. Men came up the stairs. A helicopter circled outside.

_So much for being safer this way. Optimus, don’t blame yourself. I don’t and I won’t have you feeling this either. If you’re hearing me, know that I love you and I wish to Primus I would’ve said it more._

He shuttered his optics and dialed down his audials for a brief moment. He listened to his own systems. He heard the water lapping against the boat. Rigging creaked. _I don’t suppose that old human saying that if I can’t see them, they can’t see me would apply here._

The humans shouting was closer to him now. They would be on him in a moment. He onlined his optics and vented out slowly.

Suddenly, there was an explosion. He landed on the deck, hard. They started firing at him, the men with their automatic weapons and the missiles from the helicopter. He tried to crawl away.

He rolled down onto the deck below, just as another explosion hit. Fire scorched his plating. He went through the side of the boat. 

He ignored the pain firing along his sensors. He transformed as soon as he hit the dock. He hit the accelerator but they were on his tail.

A shot hit his back tire. He rolled into his bi-pedal form, rolled a couple times, found his footing, and kept running. Two more shots hit his medsection and slowed him up just enough for a missile to shear off his right leg. 

He tried to balance, sparks firing from his leg. “No! Please! Hold your fire.*”

“Hold! Hold Fire!” He collapsed just as he was surrounded by human vehicles. The leg sent flaming agony through the rest of his frame. He perched on his good knee. In the back of his processor, he was already thinking on how he was going to repair it without resources and he was so slagging tired of being a miracle worker on this fraggin’ mudball. “Can you not see? I’ve been injured.*”

“Box him in,” a voice said over loudspeakers. “Box him in.*”

He looked at all the weapons trained on him. “Medical Officer Ratchet! I’m a friend!” He held his servos up. “I’m an Autobot!*”

“Then why are you running?*” a hostile human voice shouted.

“Optimus sent this distress message.” He touched a plate on his chest and Optimus’ voice filled the air. “Calling all Autobots. We are under targeted attack. Cease all contact with humans.*”

It hurt to hear Optimus’ voice. He rested on his hands and good knee. He was so tired. He didn’t know why he was even bothering to speak with these humans. “We’re all hiding. All Autobots are being hunted,” he snarled. “We’re all in danger.*”

The man sneered at him. “I lost a sister in Chicago. You’ll get no sympathy from me.*”

He straightened up as best he could to face them.

A round larger than anything that could’ve come from a human weapon hit him square in the chest. He felt his spark chamber crack with the impact. Then the humans were firing at him again.

He finally fired back, but only trying to clear a path, not kill. “What’s wrong with you humans?*” He looked around desperately for any way of escape but he was surrounded. “You’re no better than the Decepticons!”

He couldn’t withstand any more fire. Another explosion knocked him on his back. He tried to continue returing fire but a grenade knocked his shoulder from its socket. His other leg was useless. He tried inching back. “No! Please!*”

Suddenly, all firing stopped. Warning messages popped up for all systems. He was in danger of overheating. His whole body was sparking and he could barely move. Energon quickly pooled beneath him. His pain receptors were overwhelmed and everything was numb.

He saw the big, dark bot coming. Again, there was no terror. There was anger and a tiny bit of hope for relief from this mess. _Frag him! I’m scrap anyway. He doesn’t get what he wants!_ “Lockdown.*”

Lockdown stood menacingly over him. “Autobots, Decepticons. Like little children, always fighting.” He cocked the large gun on his arm. “Making a mess out of the universe. Then I’ve got to clean it up.” He pointed it at his prone victim. “There is one way you survive. Tell me where he’s hiding. Where is Optimus Prime?*”

He would’ve laughed in Lockdown’s face if he had the energy. He managed one word in a quiet iron conviction. “Never.*”

He didn’t move as Lockdown put a heavy foot on his chest. He felt a brief flash of agony as the weapon tore into his chest. He barely heard Lockdown’s venomous voice before everything went dark.

“Never is here.*”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scene of Ratchet's death taken from Age of Extinction. Dialogue from the movie marked w/ *


	27. Chapter 27

Shane’s head shot up at the sound of the alarm. His eyes were still closed and his hair stuck up at odd angles. He blindly reached for his phone.

He blinked and turned off the alarm. He rubbed his eyes. “3 AM,” he groaned. “You missed the 1 AM check. Would it be the end of the world if you slept through this alarm too?”

He took a deep breath. “No, make Tessa’s old man happy.”

He rolled off the cot. He pulled on his jeans but didn’t bother with shoes or a shirt. He stretched and shook his head at himself. He remembered the smirk on Cade’s face. “How did you let him talk you into this?” he muttered.

He started down the hall. The feeling of cold concrete under his feet sent a mild jolt through him. “Every two hours, Lucky Charms,” he mocked in a high pitched whisper.

He rolled his eyes. “Why? Hound set up an alarm system that will alert all the Autobots in the event that the power fails to the sparks.”

He switched back to his “Cade” voice. “Because I want to know if something’s up before catastrophic failure. All you need to do is stick your head in to make sure everything is running normally.”

He switched back to his own voice. “How would I know what passes for normal in that electronic house of horrors?”

He snickered. The “Cade” voice was beginning to be fun. “Just make sure everything is running and there’s no fire. Simple. Even you can do it, Lucky Charms.”

“And why did I give in?” He frowned. “Cause you want to stay on her old man’s good graces and you’re in love with her, dummy.”

He ducked into what used to be a private office where Tessa was sleeping. He knelt at her side. He caressed her cheek and then leaned in to kiss her forehead.

He straightened back up and continued on his way to Frankenstein’s lab. By now he was used to the cold concrete under his feet. The only sounds came from him and air moving through the vents above him.

“One day, you’re on the racing circuit,” he mused to himself. “The next, you’re hanging out with giant robots.” He grinned, a little maniacal and sleep deprived. “This would make a great video game.”

Shane flipped on the lights at the lab. He started when he saw Optimus laying on the floor on his side, his back to him. His eyes got wide. He ran over. “Prime!”

Shane circled to Optimus’ front. He saw Optimus’ optics offline, but he could hear Optimus’ systems running smoothly. “Optimus.”

Optimus’ chest plates were open. His spark pulsed wildly in its casing.

Shane tentatively touched Optimus. “Optimus,” he tried again. There was no response. “Optimus, please,” he whispered raggedly.

Shane swallowed a rising tide of panic. He took a step back. He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Okay. Get Cade. That’s right. Get Cade.”

He took off at a dead run back to the barracks. He jammed the light switch. “Cade!” he shouted.

Cade shot up to a sitting position. “What!” He rubbed his eyes and glowered at Shane. “What the hell, Lucky Charms?”

Shane skidded to a stop next to Cade. “It’s Optimus!”

Cade looked up at Shane in confusion. “What about him?”

“He’s…” Shane waved his arms. “He’s…unconscious in the lab.”

Cade threw his blanket to the side. He got up and quickly pulled on his pants and t shirt. “Tessa!” he called. “Tessa, wake up!” He grabbed Shane’s arm. “We’ll get to the lab. You, go get the Autobots.” 

Shane nodded and took off. He ran to the hangar where the Autobots recharged. He found the lights. “Guys!”

There was no immediate response. Hound was the closest to the door. Shane ran over to him and got as close as he could to his audial. “Hound!”

Hound mumbled in his recharge but didn’t wake.

Shane climbed up onto Hound’s chest. He started jumping up and down. “Come on! Hound, Optimus needs us!”

Hound jerked awake but had enough presence of processor to reach up to steady Shane before the human could be thrown off. “What’s going on, Shane?”

Shane had to take a couple deep breaths before he could speak. “It’s Optimus. I found him unconscious in the lab.”

By this time, all of the other Autobots were awake except for Crosshairs. Drift was the first on his pedes. “Breathe, Shane.”

“His chest plates were open,” Shane babbled. “Is it possible for you guys to have a heart attack, spark attack, whatever you want to call it.”

“Not in that sense,” Drift answered.

Hound gently dropped Shane on the floor before he climbed to his pedes. “Scrap.” He looked to Drift. “Do you think he’d really be that reckless?”

Drift vented out heavily. “Normally, I would say no, but recent events have cut Prime to the spark.”

Bumblebee chirped solemnly.

Shane looked up at all of them with wild eyes. “What are you talking about? What’s Optimus done to himself?”

Hound led the way. “Not sure yet. Let’s go.”


	28. Chapter 28

Cade stared at Optimus’ still form. He stood before Optimus’ open chest. The space was large enough for him and Tessa to stand in its shadow. He reached a tentative hand out to touch Optimus’ spark chamber. The glass was warm to the touch. It vibrated against his skin.

Tessa hugged her arms across her chest. She chewed her bottom lip. “What do we do?”

Cade stroked the glass without realizing it. He peered around the spark chamber into the mechanism connecting it to the rest of Optimus’ frame. “This is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. I wish I knew.” He paused for a moment. “Tessa, check Ratchet and Leadfoot.”

Tessa turned towards the two sparks hooked to the generator. “Power’s good. They look like they’re pulsing strong. What do you think they’re feeling in there? Do you think they’re aware?”

“They don’t have bodies, so I doubt there’s much physical pain. But I don’t think Lockdown would’ve taken them as trophies if he didn’t think they would be aware,” Cade answered grimly.

Tessa shivered. “You mean it wouldn’t have been worth it if he didn’t think they were suffering.” 

“Exactly.”

Tessa frowned at the odd echo in Cade’s voice. She turned to see him trying to climb into Optimus’ chest. She grabbed his leg. “Dad, no!”

Cade was half way inside. “Let go.” He tried to shake her off. “I just want to see if there’s an obvious leak or fried wires, anything to give me a clue. He wouldn’t have just collapsed.”

“I don’t believe that will be necessary,” Drift announced.

Tessa hit Cade’s leg. “Yeah, Dad. Listen to Drift.”

“Okay,” Cade reluctantly agreed as he dropped back out.

“Move out of the way,” Hound ordered.

Cade and Tessa joined Shane by the far wall. All three of them slid down the wall into sitting positions, Tessa sandwiched between her father and her boyfriend. She burrowed under Shane’s arm. They watched Drift, Hound, and Bumblebee roll Optimus onto his back.

Hound looked Optimus over with a critical optic. “I don’t see any injuries.”

“Nothing is showing up on my scanners,” Drift added.

Bumblebee found the manual switch to close Optimus’ chest plates. He looked at the others with wide optics. He chirred and beeped earnestly.

Hound ran a servo down his face. He vented out in frustration. “Bee’s right. We all know what he did.”

Drift made a sound remarkably like a human sigh. “Perhaps, we should have anticipated this. We have seen how Ratchet’s absence has been effecting him.”

Cade jumped to his feet. “Is someone going to clue the rest of us in?”

The Autbots traded apprehensive looks. 

“Well?” Cade prodded impatiently.

Tessa reached up and grabbed Cade’s hand. “Calm down, Dad. This isn’t easy for any of us.”

Hound grunted. “Fine. We think he tried spark merging with the Doc.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Cade demanded.

The bots shifted uncomfortably. Hound rolled his optics at the others. “It’s…” his voice trailed off. He reset his vocalizer. “It’s not something easy to explain to outsiders. Besides, human vocabulary is…” he paused in search of a tactful word. “…limited.”

Cade opened his mouth to retort but stopped when Tessa squeezed his hand. “Dad,” she said in soft warning.

“We mean no offense, Cade. We have not run across anything similar in your species.” Drift offered the humans a rueful quirk of his lip plates. He patted Hound’s shoulder. “What Hounds means is spark merging is a very intimate experience. Sharing, merging, one’s essence.”

Bumblebee threw in a few rapid fire beeps.

Hound translated automatically. “Particularly between bonded mates.”

Some of the hostile tension left Cade’s body. His eyes got wide and then his face flushed. “Oh.”

Tessa squeezed Cade’s hand. “So, Optimus has been missing his mate. From what you’re saying, they’ve merged before.”

“Yes,” Hound agreed slowly while everyone else just looked at her.

Everyone except for Shane. He smiled and gave her a squeeze. He waved his free arm in Optimus’ direction. “So, what is it about this time that put our guy offline? I’m assuming that spark merging isn’t supposed to put you guys in a coma.”

“We’re not sure,” Drift answered.

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” Cade asked sharply.

“We don’t have any instances of a mech merging with a spark with no body,” Hound answered gruffly. “We’re learning as we go here.”

Tessa frowned in thought. “Why does that make a difference?”

“Without a body, there is no anchor to this world,” Drift explained calmly. He nodded towards the sparks. “Even with those containers, the sparks could still flicker out and die. If that were to happen when Prime is merged with Ratchet, Primus may take them both.” He grimaced and was about to say more but stopped himself.

“Drift?” Tessa asked in concern. “What is it?”

Drift shook his helm. “I should not say.”

“Come on,” Shane put in. “Don’t clam up now.”

Hound growled. He looked at his comrades as if daring them to disagree. “Fine. Primus, help me. I’ll say it. We’re not sure how much fight Prime has in him right now. If Doc goes, Prime may go with him.”

Cade took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He straightened up. “That’s not going to happen,” he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We won’t let it.”

Tessa swallowed. “So, what do we do now?”

Drift sat next to Optimus. “I will keep watch over him til he comes to. I suggest the rest of you go back to recharge. We’re going to have some long days ahead of us.”


	29. Chapter 29

Cade slept fitfully the rest of the night. Everything from the time he’d seen Optimus as a junked out old semi replayed in his mind. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be sucked into a battle to not only save the remaining Autobots, but the Earth as well.

He remembered a gun held to Tessa’s head. He remembered the heat of the blast as his house and barn went up in flames. He remembered his first time in an alien ship. He remembered Optimus risking everything in a weakened state to save him, not once, but many times.

“He misses his mate,” Cade muttered to himself. “What would you do for one last day with Emily?”

Cade smiled, bittersweet. “Just about anything.”

He took some time just to indulge in thinking about her. Her smile. Her laugh. Her kiss. The way she hugged Tessa. The way she tilted her head to the side just before she called him on his bullshit. The smells in the kitchen on baking day. Her shea butter body wash. Everything. He missed everything about her.

“You would’ve been proud of the way our girl handled herself, Em,” he murmured. “Giant alien robots. No problem.” He chuckled. “I think she’s even learning Cybertronian kung fu.”

Cade blinked. He sighed and glanced out the window to see the sun just poking up over the horizon. He rolled off his cot. He grabbed a quick shower and dressed before he checked on Tessa. She was still asleep and Shane was asleep on the floor next to her.

Cade shook his head in fond exasperation. “I hate to say it, Lucky Charms, but you’re a good man,” he whispered and silently backed away.

Next, Cade stuck his head in the lab to find Optimus and Drift exactly as he’d left them. Optimus on his back, unmoving, but engine humming smoothly. Drift sat perfectly calm and still. He looked to be meditating with shuttered optics.

“How’s it going, Drift?” Cade asked quietly.

Drift opened his optics. “The same. I didn’t expect you to be up and about for a few more hours yet.”

Cade stepped fully inside. He shrugged. “Can’t sleep.”

Drift nodded. “I understand.”

Cade nodded towards Optimus. “When do you think he’ll come out of it?”

“Hopefully, sometime today.”

Cade regarded Drift curiously. “What do you think happened during the merge to knock him offline like that?”

Drift vented out heavily. “It is impossible to know for certain before speaking with Prime, but…”

“But?”

Drift’s optics settled on the sparks. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Ratchet himself was the one who kept Prime from completing the merge. If anybody could anticipate the danger, it would be him and he would do anything to protect Prime.”

Cade hummed thoughtfully. “That’s what we do for those we love.” His stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly. He slipped his hands into his pockets and smiled sheepishly. “Is there anything you need? Anything I can get you?”

“Not at this time,” Drift answered mildly. He arched an optic ridge at Cade. “But I believe that you need fuel.”

“Yeah, I know,” Cade agreed. He gave a small wave and left the lab.

Cade made his way to the base kitchen. He started the coffee and made himself a plate of ham and eggs. He played with the radio but all he could find were pop stations. He switched it off with a scowl. “Haven’t they ever heard of country music?”


End file.
